Architectural order – system of morphologically related elements linked in a mutual syntactic
relationship to form an organic whole
Morphological elements – single parts that can be clearly individuated – e.g. Volutes
Elements linked by a mutual synactic (syntax) relationship - mutual bc they interact with
each other and synactic because they are precise and coherent with each other (like syntax) (but still
leave free space for expression)
organic whole – all elements create a single system which cannot be pulled apart in
inidvidual elements and smaller sub-systems
First Order
built around a base module – e.g. A diameter of the lower shaft of the column
based in biomimicry
made for functional reasons to create a replicable aesthetic effect
Ionic and Doric coemerged in 7th century (as contrastng styles symbolising belief in gender
duality of the world). Between 6th and 5th they started to be employed within the same buidlings.
Based in elaboration of thrilitic architectural system
*In roman architecture it also had the decorative function and the thrilithic system became
elaborated into the arch system (theather motiv – fake arches)
Virtuvius distinguished 3 main orders but later studies distinguished 5. The ancient orders
are a basis for later studies on architectural languages of different (+tuscana nd composite)
Structure
> Entamblature
- Cornice
- Frieze
- Architrave
> Column (there are three types – pillar, half-pillar and pilaster + giant order ***)
– Capital
– Shaft
– Base
> Pedestal
– Cornice
– Dado/Die
– Base
Greek Urbanism and Architecture
1) Mycenae 15th BC – Bronze Age collapse
Descendants or Anatolian Achaeans
Divided land into districts (Damos) which also divided the population
King (Wanax) and Chief of Army (2nd in command) (Lawaghestas)
Sos: Homeric poems
City (mycenean cities: mycenea, tirynys, thebes) had two main elements
acropolis
high place
citadel included
cyclopean walls around
palace composed around megaron
housing
along main streets
streets were gathered into irregular groups governed by family clans
main type of house was a megaron (vestibule > central room > storage space)
Pieces of architecture:
tholos tomb, lions gate
Historical division:
Archaic Period: From first polis (+/- 8 C BC) Cities before Hippodarmian Plan and Perciles
rule (5C BC)
Classical 5C BC – 323 BC (A. The Great death)
Hellenism 323 BC – 31 BC (battle of Actium – Egypt under Roman Rule)
Greek Political system:
city state model
max +/- 10.000 citizens
3 main types of governance – direct democracy, oligarchy of family clans and tyranny
According to plato optimal population was 5 thousand, organised around an acropolis, surrounded
by walls, including fields within
city generation
3 city elements
acropolis – now mostly religious
asty -low city, residentiel space
chora – cultivated land
agora – central space dedicated for civis, politics and commerce in asty
city can have 2 fundation stories
synecism – couple of villages come together and form a larger center – results in a
less regular city
foundation - (ktesis) artificially started planned cities iwth regular schemes – like
colonies)
Divided according to the three phases of greek culture
Pre-Hippodamus urban planning (e.g. Megara Hyblaea (728 AC)
regular grid system of
plateai
east-west streets
larger distances between each other
wider
limited (like 5 in a city)
stenopoi
north-south
denser
narrow
house:
composed around a central courtyard which was also a light well
main room (oikos) + portico (pastas)
Agora
not necessairly in the center
couple of blocks
irregular
Post-Hippodamian plan
diairesis – rational urban space division
First case study – Miletus
Land division
social class division
the land was divided into public, religious and private
Planning
plateiai are now increased
stenopoi is made similar to plateiai
comerical and politica agora are differentiated
the blocks are shortended into 2:3, 3:4 or 4:5 – this enables the cocnpet of typology
to emerge
Houses:
townhouse emergence
no courtyard
longer
more rooms
different houses flank each other
case studies; priene, pireus
Agora:
free standing porticos with a cover for an universal meeting place
simple construction – front columnade and a back wall with a wooden roof
aligned with streets
Bouleterion
Boule – assembly of citizens deciding on the issues of state
all citizens had a speaking right
took place in building which corresponded to the principle of equal rights
Temples
usually situated on acropolis though occasionally on agora too
usually thrilithic system
Temple typologies
peripteral
columns: 13 x 6
core with pronaos which leads to cella and with opisthodomos in the
back
on each side 2 columns in antis
anta
2 in antis columns > pronaos > cella
double anta
like anta but mirrored
tholos
circular
prostyle
4 column-portico
naos
amphirostyle
like prostyle but mirrored
dipteral
double column rows
columns: 8 x 17
pseudoperipteral
the inner collonade is amde of half pillars with a row of full pillars at
both fronts
columns: (2x8) x 13
single cella
pseudodipteral
row of pillars and inner halfpillars
columns:8 x 16
inside cella which leads to opisthodomos
the temples can also be differentiated according to column number:
heno- + style – one column
di-
tri-
tetra-
pena-
hexa
hepta-
octa-
ennea-
deca-
the theater
scene:
orchestra – choir space
parodos – ehind orchestra
proskenion – where actors act
skene – buidlings behind the scene
audience
koilon – the inner seating
tiered seats are divid into gangways and aisles
Case study 1: olympia
founded around a zeus sanctuary
center of panhellenic olympic games
776 BC – first games
7C BC – temple of hera
468-456 BC – Zeus temple
393 AD – emperor theodosius stops the games
contents:
great gymnasium
palestra – basically a gym with baths
phillipheion
temple of hera
temple of zeus
heroon
priest's house
bouleterion
leonidaion
pelopion
hippodameion
stadium
altar of zeus
Case Study 2: Athen's Acropolis
Propylaea
Mnesicles
extended gateway
eterior – doric
interior – ionic
pentelic marble and darke lusian stone
center – doric hexastyle
Erechteion
temple with several sanctuaries for city gods – athena polias and poseidon
cenotaph of erechteius (old athenian king)
zeus altar
Parthenon
Calicrates, Ictinus and Phidias
Peripteral, amphiprostyle octastyle (8 x 17 columns)
doric
chryselphantine statue of Athena by Phidias
Nike Temple
amphiprostyle, tetrastyle, antae in front of the naos
ionic
square plan
calicrates
~450 BC
Case Study 3: Delphi Panhellenic Sanctuary
considered center of the world
8-7th BC – rise of Apollo cult in the area
4th BC – cult dies down
390 AAC – Theodosius closes it down and demolishes
Hellenistic cities (e.g. Alexandria)
death of city states
cities located along commerical routes
acropolis anf agora lose importance and agor is reduced to a simple square
monumental tendencies – large streets flanked by fancy porticos
housing
private houses
internal courtayrd
peristyle
fancy
increased presence of palaces
alexandria
started 332 BC
design – Dinocrates
Hippodamian with monumental main streets (30-20m wide) + lighting
public water supply
CBD number increases
functional zoning of neighbourhoods
king's palace – 20% of the city
public architecture included:
parks
theaters
stadia
palaestre
temples
hippodrome
famous lighthouse
