Greek Architecture: Characteristics and Styles
Greek Art: Architecture
Greek architecture primarily focused on urban and religious buildings. For the Greek artist, everything was about proportion and measure. The architecture is characterized by its ashlar masonry, a perfectly uniform system of stones placed perpendicularly and longitudinally, known as isodomic. A defining feature is the use of marble as the primary material. While aware of the arch and vault, the Greeks rejected them in favor of a lintel system.
Greek architects meticulously studied all perspectives and the relationship between buildings and nature. They employed three main types of columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Although we know that they used color, it has been lost over time. They sought visual harmony by incorporating subtle curvatures in the stylobate and entablature, and by adjusting the spacing and width of columns to counteract optical illusions.
Architectural Orders
The Doric Order
Originating in the Archaic period, the Doric order is characterized by its robust proportions. Columns have no base and rest directly on the stylobate. The shaft is fluted with sharp edges, and between the shaft and the capital are the astragal and necking. Above these are the echinus and abacus, which support the entablature. The entablature consists of three parts: the architrave (a smooth beam resting on the abacus), the frieze (composed of alternating triglyphs and metopes), and the cornice (the topmost structure). Doric columns have a slight widening in the middle (entasis). Temples feature a gabled roof and a richly decorated pediment, often depicting the gods to whom the temple was dedicated. The triangular space within the pediment is the tympanum, where sculptures called acroteria were placed.
The Ionic Order
Associated with a more refined and elegant culture, the Ionic order features more slender proportions, aiming to reflect the delicacy of the female form. The capital is distinguished by its two volutes (scrolls), above which is a decorated abacus. The entablature includes an architrave divided into three horizontal bands, and the frieze is continuously decorated with bas-reliefs, unlike the Doric order’s triglyphs and metopes. The fronts also have a tympanum.
The Corinthian Order
Emerging in the 4th century BC, the Corinthian order is a variation of the Ionic order. Its defining feature is the capital, decorated with overlapping acanthus leaves. The entablature is the same as the Ionic, with a decorated continuous frieze or a smooth one.
Temple Design
Temples were dedicated to the worship of a specific god. They were usually rectangular buildings with several rooms, although some were circular, known as tholoi. Most temples had a number of dependencies. Inside the naos or cella (the god’s chapel) was the pronaos (an open vestibule) and the opisthodomos (where treasures were stored). Temples are also classified by the arrangement of their columns:
- Apteral: No columns.
- Prostyle: Columns in front of the vestibule.
- Amphiprostyle: Columns at the front and rear.
- Peripteral: Columns surrounding the entire structure (most common).
- Dipteral: Two rows of columns surrounding the structure.
- Pseudoperipteral: Columns attached to the sides.
- Pseudodipteral: One row of attached columns and one row of free-standing columns.
Temples are also named according to the number of columns on their main facade: hexastyle (six columns), tetrastyle (four columns), etc. The Greeks developed techniques to correct visual distortions, such as widening the ends of columns and introducing a slight bulge in the middle (entasis).
Some of the most significant buildings include the Parthenon, the Temple of Apollo, and the Erechtheion.
Public Buildings
In the Greek polis, several key elements can be distinguished:
- Stoas: Covered porticoes used for shelter and meetings.
- Agora: Served as a space for administration, public assembly, commerce, and business.
- Gymnasium or Arena: Places for exercise.
- Theatre: Fundamental buildings, typically circular, with steps built into a hillside, a stage, and a designated area for the orchestra.
- Stadium: Used for chariot racing and gymnastic exercises.
- Hippodrome: Intended for horse and chariot racing.
- House: Residential architecture centered around a courtyard, with the main hall located off of it.
- Tomb: Small, monumental structures, often featuring beautiful pathways.
Acropolis and Sanctuaries
These are monumental building complexes constructed by the Greek people, typically situated on high ground. The Acropolis served as the sacred city of a population, while larger cities had holy sanctuaries for the entire Hellenic people, who visited them regularly to worship their gods. The most important sanctuaries were those of Olympia and Delphi.