Greek Architecture

Submitted To :- Submitted By :-
Jyotsna Gupta (1542016)
Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta
Greek Architecture

 What do we expect to learn from the civilization?

 Stone construction and decoration

 The introduction of Proportion in
Architecture
 The introduction of the classical orders of
architecture
 Greek architecture of temples and civic
buildings
 Principles of Greek city Planning and
Design
Introduction Of Greek Architecture

 The architecture of ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people

 (Hellenic people) whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland, the Peloponnese, the Aegean Islands,
and in colonies in Anatolia and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the
earliest remaining architectural works dating from around 600 BC.
 Ancient Greek architecture is best known from its Temples.
 The Parthenon is a prime example.
 The second important type of building that survives all over the Hellenic world is the open-air theatre, with
the earliest dating from around 525-480 BC.
 Other architectural forms that are still in evidence are the processional gateway (propylon), the public square
(agora) surrounded by storied colonnade (stoa), the town council building (bouleuterion), the public
monument, the monumental tomb (mausoleum) and the stadium.
 Location

 Greek civilization occurred in the area around the Greek mainland,

on a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea.
 It started in cities on the Greek mainland and on islands in the
Aegean Sea.
 Towards the later or Hellenistic period, Greek civilization spread to
other far away places including Asia Minor and Northern Africa.
 Most of the Greek mainland was rocky and barren and 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 of
communication and trade with other places.
Historical Background
PERIOD :-

The period of ancient Greek history can be divided

into four as follows:
1100 B. C. – 750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages
750 B. C. – 500 B. C. Archaic Period
5000 B. C. – 323 B. C. Classical Period
323 B. C. – 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period
The classical and archaic period are sometimes
collectively referred to as Hellenic period .
Historical Background
Period

 Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)

 The Mycenaean people were Greek in Origin
 Greek civilization is therefore usually viewed as a continuation of the Mycenaean civilization
 The start of the Greek civilization is therefore dated to the end of the Mycenaean civilization
in 1100BC
 Mycenaean and Greek culture dwindled and many cultural elements including writing, art
and architectural techniques were lost
 As Greek people migrated from the mainland, other people from other less prosperous
mountain regions of the north migrated to the more fertile coastline regions
Historical Background
Period

 Greek Dark Ages (1100-750 BC)

 They invade the Greek mainland villages and established their rule
 The two dialects and cultures later mixed together to create a Hellenic culture, which
is at the root of ancient Greek civilization
 These two dialects became equated with characteristic architectural forms that
evolved in them
 In the period following the invasion by the Dorians, there was a shift in lifestyle that
produced a sedentary agricultural lifestyle and society.
 Sedentary lifestyle allowed the Greeks to rediscover urbanized culture that
ultimately led to evolution of classical Greek culture
Historical Background
Period

 Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)

 The revival of Greece from the dark ages started during the eight century BC
 The Greeks developed a new political form called city states
 City states are cities which are ruled as independent nations
 The archaic period saw the renewal interest in overseas trading contact
Historical Background
Period

 Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)

 Greek societies that were engaged in trade became rich and by joining with
other their neighbors, sometimes forcefully, formed large states
 The polis or city state emerged as the natural and desirable political entity
 Early examples of these city states include Athens, Corinth, Argos, and Sparta
on the mainland, and in the Eastern Aegean, Samos, Chios, Smyrna, Ephesus
and Miletus
 The archaic period marked the rise of the aristocratic families; families that
are considered noble or of higher status
Historical Background
Period

 Archaic Period (750 - 500 BC)

 The archaic period was dominated politically by the leading aristocratic
families in each city state acting in concert or squabbling amongst themselves
for supremacy
 The archaic period marked the beginnings of Greek monumental stone
sculpture and architecture
 Around 546 BC, the rising Persian Empire conquered some Greek city states
 The rising threat of the Persian Empire marked the end of the Greek archaic
period and of classical Greek culture
Historical Background
Period

Classical period (500 - 323 BC)

The Classical period of ancient Greek history occurred between 500 BC, and 323 BC.
The period started with the Greek city states coming into conflict with the rising
Persian Empire
The Greek alliance soon transformed into an Empire under the leadership of Athens
Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429 BC became a driving force for the
development of temple architecture
Pericles used the defense revenue from the alliance for temple building in Athens to
thank the Gods
Historical Background
Period

 Classical period (500 - 323 BC)

 Under the Persian King Xerxes, Persia attempted a retribution in 479 BC and
was defeated by an alliance of the Greek states headed by Sparta
 The Greek alliance soon transformed into an Empire under the leadership of
Athens
 Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429 BC became a driving force
for the development of temple architecture
 Pericles used the defense revenue from the alliance for temple building in
Athens to thank the Gods
Historical Background
Period

 Classical period (500 - 323 BC)

 Athens reached its greatest political and cultural heights
during the classical period
 The full development of the democratic system of
government occurred under Pericles
 The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was built
 Philosophical schools such as those of Socrates and Plato
were founded
 The Death of Alexander marked the end of the classical
period of Greece civilization
Historical Background
Period

 Hellenistic period (323 - 147 BC)

 The period saw the transplanting of Greek art, civic life and culture to newly
conquered areas
 The period also saw a marked increase in interest in civic buildings
 The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when the Roman Empire conquered
Greece and incorporated the city states into it
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Greek civilization is the first major civilization in Europe

 Greek civilization along with the Roman civilization are said to be at the root
of current western civilization
 They two are referred to as “classical” cultures because of their recognition as
the root of western civilization
 Greek and Roman architecture are also referred to as classical architecture
 Greek civilization started with the mingling of two Greek cultures, the Dorian
and the Ionian to create a single Hellenic culture
 The two developed a sedentary agricultural and commercial society that
ultimately gave birth to the concept of the city state
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Societal Organization- The city state

 The ancient Greeks lived in self governing city-states called "polis."
 The city-states were small, independent communities which were male-
dominated and bound together by race.
 The ancient Greek world was made up of hundreds of these independent city
states
 The polis started as a defensible area to which farmers of an area could retreat
in the event of an attack as in the Mycenaean citadels
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Societal Organization- The city state

 Every polis was different from another, even though there were similarities
between them
 They were all bounded by common language and religious beliefs
 They all made efforts to preserve their own unique identity, and each city state
believed that their state was better than all the other states
 The city states often fought with one another.
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Societal Organization- The city state

 The city state of Athens on the Greek mainland was among the most famous and powerful of
the city states
 It was a major center for learning and the arts.
 However, they gradually moved towards democracy.
 Athens developed an early form of democracy
 How did they make laws? Only men who were born in Athens were allowed to vote.
 They did this at public assemblies where upper class citizens discussed and adopted laws that
might benefit Athens.
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Social Organization And Responsibility

 The scale of the polis was small.
 The philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed that the polis should be of a small size, so that
members know each other personally
 The ideal size of a city state was fixed at 5040 males by Plato
 Citizens in any polis were related by blood and so family ties were very strong.
 Membership of the polis was hereditary and could not be passed to persons outside the family
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Social Organization And Responsibility

 The society of the polis had a social hierarchy with citizens at the top, followed by people who
are not citizens and finally slaves
 Public life was for male citizens while women were secluded in the house
 Greek citizens did not have rights but duties
 All citizens were directly involved in politics, justice, military service, religious ceremonies,
intellectual discussion, athletics and artistic pursuits.
 It was not acceptable for Greek citizens to refuse to carryout their responsibilities
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Religious Belief
 The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, believing in many different gods and goddesses
 All the gods and goddesses had specific roles, controlling one or two major aspects of life
 Zeus was, for example, the supreme leader of the gods, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, and
Poseidon was the god of the sea
 Humans call on the gods for protection and make offerings to the gods to secure this
 Ancient Greeks believed that religion would make their lives better while they were living.
 They also believed that the gods would take care of them when they died.
 Religious belief was constantly changing and developing as new cults were introduced from time to time
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Place of Worship
 Temples were the focus of Greek religious worships
 Temples were usually built in the cities of the Gods called “Acropolis”
 Temples were built in every town and city for one or more god or goddess
 The temples were considered as offerings to the gods
 Each community was therefore under pressure to make them beautiful as
possible
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Place of Worship
 The temples were also considered as the house of the gods
 They were not designed for functional use
 They usually consist of a large open hall called sanctuary where the statue
of the god to whom it is dedicated is kept
 The temples were the places for routine festivals to the gods
 The festivals included plays, music, dancing, and then a parade to the
temple where they made sacrifices and had a feast.
 Animals were usually sacrificed as a gift to the gods
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Architecture in service of religion

 Architecture in Greece Started in the Service of Religions Temples were the abode of gods
 Greeks regarded beauty as an attribute of the gods and the conscious pursuit of beauty as a
religious exercise.
 The most important task for architects was how to make the temple beautiful
 The search for ways to express architectural beauty made the Greek civilization among the first
to have established ideals of beauty
 The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets of beauty lie in proportions
 Greek developed a system of building proportion that reflected those of the human body
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Architecture in service of religion

 With time, they refined their system of building proportion, and developed the classical Greek
orders which we will soon explore
 The principal building material of the ancient Greeks was stone
 Clay and timber were also used
 Timber was used mostly for roofing and its scarcity coupled with limitations in its length
imposed restrictions on the width of buildings
 Temples were the main building type and it was used as a decoration element by every city
 Greek society also made buildings other than temples
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Architecture in service of religion

 Greek society also made buildings other than templesThe most common buildings are
amphitheaters, council halls, public fountains and theatres, gymnasia, schools and libraries,
public baths and lavatories
 As these civic buildings emerge, treatment once reserved for temple was extended to them
even though on a less grander scale than in the temples
 Their ground plans were always very simple, usually rectangular
 Buildings were constructed by skilled craftsmen who were in demand and traveled from one
state to the other for construction work
 Designs were done on the ground by measuring out the foundation
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Other Activities and Achievements

 Greek society contributed to the earliest development of science and scientific inquiry
 Greeks attempted to explain the world through the laws of nature.
 Greeks found out that the earth was round and A Greek person is credited as being the first to
measure the circumference of the Earth
 The Greeks also made significant contributions to the arts, particularly in sculpture and
painting
Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs

 Other Activities and Achievements

 They wrote many stories and plays that continue to be
performed today.
 The ancient Greeks were huge sports fans and sports was
considered a part of religion
 Every four years, the Greeks held the Olympic Games in the
stadium at Olympia.
 The best athletes in Greece competed in different events
 Because the games were religious, anyone who was caught
cheating during the games was never allowed to compete
again
Greek Classical Order
 Ancient Greece:
City Planning

 Greek architecture was mostly focused

on public buildings
 City planning was based upon the
inhabitants and the terrain
ANCIENT GREEK CITIES :

Aenus
Athens
Astacus
Baris
Calydon
Dilphe
Dion
ATHEN City Planning

 The entire development of Athens

has originated from the acropolis.
It is the focal point of Athens.
 The Acropolis hill, so called the
"Sacred Rock" of Athens, is
the most important site of the city.
ATHENS

 Athens is one of the oldest named city in the world having continuously inhabitatedFor at least 7000 years.
  Athens began its achievements during the 5th century bc.
Athens grew from its focal point , the acropolis, which became the ceremonial Center of the city-state , decked
with temples including the Parthenon.
  it has an organic plan
 Propylea is the main entrance gate at Athens.
 Agora was the center of Athenian life. laid out 6th century bc.,northwest of the acropolis, it was a square lined
by public buildings , which served Athens needs for Commerce and politics.
ATHENS

 The placement of buildings were decided on natural factors such as the morphology of the land
 For e.g. the theatres were generally built around a slope to provide natural seating.
 The agora was built over a flat surface.
 The houses were generally placed along the southern slope and part of acropolis facing the sea.
 The placement of buildings were decided on natural factors such as the morphology ofthe land
 For eg. The theatres were generally built around a slope to provide natural seating.
 The Agora was built over a flat surface.
 The houses were generally placed along the southern slope and part of Acropolisfacing the sea.
No concrete town planning appears to have existed; the streets of the city were in their majority narrow
and irregular in shape, while the inhabitants built their houses arbitrarily
Peisistratos built the first wall around the city. This wall was almost circular and had eight gates. Many
monuments were built on the Acropolis
For the first time an underground aqueduct was constructed to bring water from mount Hymettus.
 Click icon to add picture

City rebuilt according to plan devised by Hippodamus

The mistocles wall was built around the city. Athens soon prospered again
HIPPODAMUS

 Famous Greek intellectual who devised a five step plan to city planning.
  Five step plan
 City was cut by several main streets crossing at right angles
 The resulting rectangles were subdivided into blocks
 The blocks were further subdivided into house plots
 Public buildings were placed accordingly to avoid congestion
 The plan of the city was based on the particular terrain
HIPPODAMUS

 Hippodamos devised an ideal city to be inhabited by 50,000 people

 He studied the functional problems of cities and linked them to the state administration system.
 As a result he divided the citizens into three classes (soldiers, artisan sand 'husbandmen'), with the land
also divided into three (sacred, public and private).
 The port of the harbour-town Peiraeus grew in importance. Ship sheds and dry docks were constructed
for the warships. He planned the arrangement Peiraeus at Athens in the middle of the fifth century BC.
 The streets of Athens as narrow and tortuous , unpaved, unlighted and more like Chaos of mud and sewage
than even the usual Greek road.
Broad, straight streets

Right angles

Open space for development of

agora
GREEK CITY PLANNING AND DESIGN
PLANNING AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES

 The ancient Greek civilization had established principles for planning and designing cities.
 City form were of two types:
 Old cities such as Athens had irregular street plans reflecting their gradual organic development.
 New cities, especially colonial cities established during the Hellenistic period, had a grid-iron street
plan
 Certain things were common among cities:
 The overall division of spaces in 3 parts: acropolis, agora and the town . The fortification etc.
Greek City Planning and Design Planning and
Design Principles 

 Towns had fixed boundaries and some were protected by

fortifications .
 Much of the town was devoted to public use.
 The Greek City was usually divided into three parts; the
acropolis, the agora and the town.
 Site planning and design was centered on the appreciation of
buildings from the outside.
 The location of buildings was therefore such that it could
command a good view to it.
The Acropolis

 The acropolis in Athens was a religious precinct

located on one of the hills of the city.
 The artist and architects to build a new city of
temples to glorify the gods.
 The acropolis combined Doric orders and ionic
orders in a perfect composition in four buildings;
the Propylea, the Parthenon, the Erechtheumn,
and the temple of Nike.
Greek City Planning and Design The Agora

 The Agora was the most important gathering place in a Greek city.
 It started as an open area where the council of the city met to take decisions.
 With time buildings were constructed to define and enclose the space
 It also transformed into a place for combined social, commercial and political activities.
 It emerged as the heart of Greek intellectual life and discourse.
 It was usually located on a flat ground for ease of communication.
 It was placed to be easily accessible from all directions.
 In many cities, it is also located close to the Acropolis.
 Agora Occupied Center
Place
 5% Area Of The City
 Placed Center
 Hod All The Social Area &
Public Area
Greek City Planning and Design The Town 

 The town was where the people lived.

 Population of 10,000 peoples.
 This was the domain of women, who did not have any
public role.
 Early Greek towns had an irregular street pattern,
resulting from its organic growth.
 Later Hellenistic towns such as Prienne had a formal
rectilinear pattern.
 The town was made up of only residential houses.
Miletus

 No other even approximately complete example has been as yet uncovered

on any other site.
 A similar street planning to that of prirne can be seen here.
 In one quarter, the street crossed at right angles and enclosed regular blocks
of dwelling-houses measuring 32 x 62 yards.
 These are sub-divided into blocks of about 32 yards square.
 Much roman work can be seen in miletus.
 Much roman blocks are somewhat smaller than those in priene, but only
about 60 sq. yds. In each average-sized plot.
Hippodamus Of Miletus
(498-408 BC)

 Describe the role of Hipposamus of Miletus in the development of grid-planned cities in Classical Greece.
 As an architect and city planner, Hippodamus of Miletus (fifth century BCE) developed an urban plan based
on streets intersecting at right angles, known as the Hippodamian Plan.
 The Hippodamian Plan is based on a grid of right angles and the allocation of public and private space. The
center of the city is the home of the city's most important civic public spaces, including the agora, the 
bouleuterion, theatres, and temples. Private rooms surround the city's public areas.
 Since the Hippodamian Plan is based on angles and measurements, it can be laid out uniformly over any kind
of terrain. In the city of Priene, the plan is laid out over a sloping hillside, and the terrain is terraced to fit
into the rational network of houses, streets, and public buildings.
Greece Housing

  Most homes in ancient Greece had acourtyard, which was

the center of activity. Children could safely play out side in
the warm climate. Homes were divided into areas for the
men and areas for the women. The Andron was a room
reserved for males to entertain male guests. The room had
a separate entrance to the street so male guests did not have
to cross paths with any of the ladies of the house
The Throne Room was a chamber built for ceremonial purposes Sduring the 15th
century BC inside the palatial complex of Knossos, Crete, in Greece. It is still there
today and is considered the oldest throne room in Europe.
Greece Housing

Kitchen
 Food was cooked outside during most of the
year. When the weather was not conducive to
cooking outside, a hearth or brazier was used in
the kitchen. Kitchens were built with a hole in
the roof so that’s moke could escape.
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