FACTORS INFLUENING ARCHITECTURE

Greek and Rome Architecture

CLASSICAL PERIODS – GREEK AND ROMAN
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age)

• is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th or 6th century AD centered
around the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and
ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world.
It is the period in which Greek and Roman society flourished and wielded great influence throughout
Europe, North Africa and Western Asia
Geographical factor:

• Greek civilization started from group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

• Greece has a broken coast line with about 3000 islands, which made the Greeks into a sea-faring
people.

• Greek civilization occurred in the area around the Greek mainland, on a peninsula that extends into
the Mediterranean Sea.

• Greek civilization expanded by The colonization of neighboring lands such as the Dorian
colonies of Sicily & the Ionian colonies of Asia minor, and that’s the reason of the separation
of Greek civilization.

• In the Hellenistic period, Greek civilization spread to other faraway places including Asia Minor and
Northern Africa (Libya and Egypt ).

• Because of their expansion , Greece and her islands became the controller on the sea trade route and
extended to along the whole eastern Mediterranean seaports, which include Asia Minor, Cyprus,
Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Libya extending to south Italy and Sicily.

• The civilization grew and expanded, developing a commercial empire protected by naval power.

• Crafts, pottery, communications and trade through coastal towns produced a unity of culture and
economic stability.

• The rugged nature of Greece and its islands, with mountainous made the internal communication
difficult and made the sea the inevitable means of interrelationship.

• The mountainous character of the country separated the inhabitants into various small groups that
led to the evolution of (city- states ) like Athens, Troy, Delphi etc.
Geological factor:

• Most of the Greek mainland was rocky therefore bad for agriculture.

• Most Greeks therefore lived along the coastline or on islands where the soil was good for farming.

• The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas provided a means communication and trade with other places

• The chief mineral wealth of Greece was her marble, ( the most beautiful of all building materials
that facilitates exactness of line & refinement of detail) .

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 This material is found in great abundance in various parts of Greece, e.g., in the mountains of
Hymettus and Pantelakos, a few miles from Athens, and in the islands of Paros and Naxos
• In the effort to obtain refinement of line and smoothness of Marble surface, they applied many
techniques to the other materials they have :

1. The Greeks coated coarse limestone with a layer of marble stucco to achieve the effect of fine
grained marble.
2. Bricks were used, cases coated with a fine cement formed of marble dust and lime .
3. Marble itself was often treated in the same way, the cemented marble surface much susceptible
of a higher polish than the uncemented one.
• The country also was also rich in silver, copper, and iron.
Climatic factor:

• The Greek climate is a pure Mediterranean type of climate (the nice sun and the heavy rains)
that encouraged outdoor activity and made the architecture type opened to outside.
That’s made the Greek structures tried to be in harmony with the natural landscape), applied
by 2 points
 most public ceremonies took place in the open air, which resulted in building types such
as the Greek theatre.
 The sunny climate with sudden showers necessitated the porticoes & colonnades that
were important features of the of the Greek Architecture.
• Greece enjoyed a position intermediate between (the rigorous surroundings of the Northern nations)
and (the relaxing conditions of Eastern life). Hence the Greek character combined the activity of the
North with the passivity of the East in a way that lead to the growth of a unique civilization.

Religious factor:

• Greeks people considered as a religious people.

• That’s appeared by the Worship centered on sacrificial: Altars in open-air enclosures, small chapels
or household shrines, and countless temples .
• The Greek religion was in the main a worship of natural phenomena (nature-worship,: major and
minor), of which the gods were personifications.
• Gods were conceived in human form, and represented by small idols, rocks and stone pillars.
• When temple architecture began, the Greeks began to represent their gods by large statues.
• The religious ceremonies of classical Greek included sacred games, ritual dances, athletic contests
and arts.
• The Greek gods were personifications of particular elements, or were deified heroes, and each town
or district has its own local preferences, ceremonies and traditions.
Social structure:

• Classical Greece was peopled by Ionians, Dorians, Aeolians &

Corinthians.

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• The people of the various Greek states were very religious , they love music, drama, fine arts &
passion for sports & games.
• Classical Greece had a social system from 4 levels :
1. Upper Class: The upper class in the Greek social hierarchy was very elite. Only men who: did not
have any jobs that dealt with economics like trading, had slaves, and have property and material
value . Greeks, believed that only if you were this wealthy could you spend time for politics,
philosophy, leisure, etc.
2. Middle Class: The middle class was primarily composed of professional workers like merchants,
contractors, craftsmen, and managers. Many people in the middle class were non citizens, which
means they were not slaves, but of foreign birth.
3. Lower Class: In classical Greece, the lower class mainly consisted of freed slaves.
4. Slaves: This group of people were composed of prisoners of war, infants of criminals, and of course
slaves. Few people of this class were actually of Greek race.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Several clusters of habitation developed on the northern edge of Mediterranean, generating the bases on
which later European civilization grew. We can divide them to 3 periods each period has a different
building style :
1.Early period (2700 – 700 BC) : Minoan & Mycenaean Architecture
• Communities developed on small islands in the Aegean Sea, on the larger island of Crete, and on the
mainland of Greece beginning around 2000 BC.
• It is a rough and massive Architecture .
• Cities : Knossos , Troy , Tiryns , Mycenae .
2.Hellenic Period ( 800 to 323 B.C.) : Greek Architecture
• Building system is(column-trabeate) system.
• City-states developed on the plains between mountains
• Cities : Delphi , Sparta and Athens were most important cities .
• Each had its own ruler, government and laws. Unified by a ferial system .
• Mostly religious architecture ( because of the emerge of Temples ) .
• Alexander the Great of Macedonia conquered Persia, Asia Minor, Egypt, Syria, Afghanistan.
3. Hellenistic Period (323 to 30 BC) : Secular Architecture • Hellenistic Empire
established, Greek civilization extended .
• Not religious in character, but civic – for the people.
• Provided inspiration for Roman building types , Dignified and gracious structures , Symmetrical,
orderly
• Ended by the Roman conquest .
• Mycenaean is the culture that dominated mainland Greece, the Aegean islands, and the shores of
Asia Minor during the late Bronze Age (1600-1100 BCE). con
• The Mycenaean Era occupies the tail end of the Helladic
Civilization, which flourished in mainland Greece since 3000 BCE.
• Mycenae citadel is one of the most important archaeological sites for Mycenaean and also for
Greece.
• The fortified citadel is nested over the fertile plain of Argolis near the seashore in the northeast
Peloponnese.
• The most famous buildings : lion gate , Treasury of Atreus or beehive-tombs and Nestor’s palace
complex at Pylos.

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Treasury of Atreus : beehive tombs or ( tholos )
Mycenaean :
• Mycenaean architectural sensibilities were, however, their own and centered around the megaron,
or great hall as it seen in Nestor’s palace complex at Pylos .
(Megaron ): The Great Hall in the Palace of Pylos
• A square rooms with 4 columns
• Place for religious Rituals
• It believes that this room is represent the origin of the Greek Temples in the next period .
• A hearth in the center
• Clerestory ceiling

THE CLASSICAL ORDERS IN GREEK: The greek orders were introduced by Roman architect Marcus
Vitruvius by his (De Architectura, or ten books on architecture), believed builders to meet their ideal of
harmony, balance and symmetry. Without symmetry and proportion, no temple can have a regular plan,
columns were understood by the greek as to be human.

A Greek column order consist .of:

1. Column (Base, shaft body, capital, and abacus),

2. Entablature (cornice the frieze and architrave

The column itself consist of usually of a series of solid stone “drum” a set one upon the order.

There are 3 distinct orders in classic greek architecture: Doric, ionic and Corinthian

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Doric order :
• The Doric order was the earliest to be developed by the 6th century, a set of universal proportions
for the Doric temple had been developed.
• The Doric order is made up of three elements; sty lobate, Column and entablature.
• Doric order generally is directly sits on a (stylobate) is a raised three steps on which the temple
sits. (without base). It had a height of between 5 and 6 times its diameter.

• Doric capitals had two parts – the square abacus above and circular echinus below.

• The Doric column (The shaft) is tapered and made to bulge slightly to provide correction for
optical illusion, is usually divided into 20 shallow flutes.

• Doric entablature is divided into an architrave, a frieze (Has triglyph and metope) and
the cornice.
The Doric column represents the proportions of a man’s body, its strength and beauty

Examples: The Parthenon temple , Hephaestos temple in Athens .

IONIC ORDER: The ionic order evolved and took its name from ionic modern day turkey.
Ionic capital: (a pair of Volute or scroll capital (derived from Egyptian lotus and Aegean art),
Ornaments are used to decorate the area between the capital and the volute. One of the limitations
of the Ionic Capital is that it is designed to be seen from the front only
• Ionic column (the shaft) It had 24 flutes separated by fillets, even though it is smaller in diameter,
it is slenderer from the Doric. Had a base to spread load .Ionic entablature is divided into 2 parts
( an architrave with moldings) and a raking cornice without frieze .The Ionic column is said to
represent the shape of a women with its delicacy and feminine slenderness.

Corinthian order:
• The Corinthian order takes its name from the city of Corinth in Greece , It however appeared to have
been developed in Athens in the 5th century BC .
This order is similar in its proportions to the Ionic order but has a different capital . Corinthian order:
• The Corinthian order takes its name from the city of Corinth in Greece , It however appeared to have
been developed in Athens in the 5th century BC .

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• This order is similar in its proportions to the Ionic order but has a different capital .

• Corinthian capital is shaped like an inverted bel ,is decorated with rows of carved acanthus leaves
, This rich decorative effect made it attractive.

• Corinthian column, the most beautifully ornate of the three orders. Height of 10 diameters .
• Corinthian entablature is divided into 2 parts ( an architrave , frieze and cornice developed type
with dentils.

• Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital unlike the ionic capital is designed to be seen from
all directions
• Also The corinthian column is said to represent the shape of a women with its delicacy and
feminine slenderness.
• This order was not extensively used during the Greek period , It became popular during the ancient
Roman period .
Examples : Temple of Zeus, Athens.

Greek Principals of City Planning :

• Ancient Greeks not only develop ideals of architectural aesthetics, but they also
developed principles for the design and planning of cities as location for
architecture.

• The ancient Greek city states developed a standard plan of the city .

• Principles were developed for organizing each element of the city based on
activities and its symbolism.

• The city consisted of four defined elements:

1. the town :It was composed of simple courtyard houses separated by streets ,It could
either be organic or grid-iron layout.
2. Acropolis :was the city of the gods ,it has isolated objects arranged in open
space(temples ).
3. Agora :was a meeting place for social, commercial and political activities ,The
principle of its design centers on creating
boundaries to contain space for activities.
4. stoas and other civic buildings are used to define the space.
• These are usually treated with continuous colonnades or porticoes along the
side of the court with occasional penetrations by footpaths
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There are 7 types of greek architecture buildings:
1. acropolis
2. Agora
3. Sota
4. Temple
5. Threater
6. Bouleuterion
7. Stadium
8. Houses, places
9. Tombs
The Acropolis:

• A powerfully assertive landscape influenced the Urban planning.

• The Acropolis: is the general term for the original defensive hilltop of the older Greek cities.
 The site for the temples of Gods, their treasures and artifacts
If the acropolis is at the center then, there were no need of city wall

The Agora

• The agora was a central spot in ancient Greek citystates.

• The literal meaning of the word is“ gathering place“.

• The agora was the center of athletic, artistic, spiritual and political life of the city also , Served as
a marketplace for merchants.

• The Agora was an open air meeting place, the Greek equivalent of the town square.

• It was enclosed by Stoa or colonnades giving access to public buildings all around such as temples,
etc.

1. Stoa
The Stoa it is covered walkway (portico) used for many purposes, has internal shops ,
surrounding the Agora, and around the public buildings .
• Example : the stoa of Attalos in the Agora of
Athens, Greece:
• It was built by and named after King Attalos II, who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.

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• Typical of the Hellenistic age, the stoa was more elaborate and larger than the earlier buildings of
ancient Athens.
• it is made of marble and limestone. The building skillfully makes use of different architectural orders.
• The Doric order was used for the exterior colonnade on the ground floor with Ionic for the interior
colonnade.

• It was reconstructed from 1952 -1956 by American architects.

The Temple:

• Chief building type in Greek Architecture.

• Structures built to house Gods statues within Greek stylobate sanctuaries in ancient Greek religion.

• temple interiors did not serve as meeting places, since the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the
respective deity took place outside them.

• The (Greek temple terminology) :

The temple plan is made of :
1. The most basic element of the temple is the colonnade,

It was actually a unique innovation of the Greeks. Its

• The (Greek temple terminology) :
The temple plan is made of :
2. The most basic element of the temple is the colonnade ,

• It was actually a unique innovation of the Greeks. Its Temples were designed to be admired from the
outside rather than used

• The Greek temple is believed to originate from the Mycenaean megaron

• From the megaron, it went through several stages of evolution as shown in the diagram

• By 470 BC, the final form of the Greek temple had emerged.
Temple Plans classification :

• Temples has 6 typed ,and that based on their ground plan and the way in which the columns are
arranged :

• Temples were designed to be admired from the outside rather than used

• The Greek temple is believed to originate from the Mycenaean megaron

• From the megaron, it went through several stages of evolution as shown in the diagram

• By 470 BC, the final form of the Greek temple had emerged.
Evolution of the Greek temple form:

• Temples were designed to be admired from the outside rather than used

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• The Greek temple is believed to originate from the Mycenaean megaron

• From the megaron, it went through several stages of evolution as shown in the diagram

• By 470 BC, the final form of the Greek temple had emerged.
Temple Plans classification :

• Temples has 6 typed ,and that based on their ground plan and the way in which the columns are
arranged :

Greek theater

• The second important type of building that survives are the open-air theatre.
• The Greeks invented the theater design that is still used in movies and auditoriums today.
• Every important Greek city had a theater
• The theater had a bank of seats steps created from the landscape.
• It would usually commands a view to the landscape
• The main elements of the Greek theater are :
1. cavea (Auditorium).
2. Orchestra.
3. Skene (stage building ).
Main charechtirestices:
• Often built in to a hillside •
• It has a circular Orchestra .
• Not enclosed on all sides

• Spectators can see “outside world”

• The original 34 rows of the Auditorium and more .
• Capacity : 14,000 person and more

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• Theater Epidaurus it was the largest theater in ancient Greece It is still in use today .
• The theatre is admired for its exceptional acoustics, which permit almost perfect intelligibility of
unamplified spoken words from the skēnē to all 14,000 spectators, regardless of their seating.
The theater was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. ,

• A characteristic of the Doric order is the use of entasis

• The use of optical correction, entasis, is a pointer to the desire of the Greeks to achieve their ideals
of beauty in architecture.

• Method of Entasis: refers to the practice of optical correction in Greek Doric temples

• All buildings are arranged with a slight curve to correct the optical illusion when they are viewed.

• This technique applied by: slight convexity in columns : it is the slight curvature of a classical
column that diminishes as it rises .

• This is done to counteract the concave appearance produced by straight edges in perspective.

• The best example of the application of entasis is found in the Parthenon temple

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