Orders of classical architecture

The public buildings of the ancient Greeks and Romans were almost all designed usingthe five orders of architecture. Their public architecture like temples, public baths, or basilicas, was in most cases very elaborate so as to impress the spectator with the importance of the building and the wealth of its builders.

The orders were initially developed by the Greeks. The Greeks built few public buildings apart from temples, and the basic form of a Greek temple, is the main sanctuary surrounded on all four sides by a columned portico. The columns of the portico were of the same design, and conformed to one of three basic types, the Doric, the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Romans, in their temples used the Greek orders, together with their own orders, the Tuscan and the Composite Orders.

The Doric order originated on the mainland and western Greece. It is the simplest of the orders, characterized by short, faceted, heavy columns with plain, round capitals and no base. With the height that is only four to eight times itsdiameter, the columns are the most squat of all orders. The shaft of the Doric order is channeled with 20 flutes. The capital consists of a necking which is of a simple form. The echinus is convex and the abacus is square.

Above the capital there is a square abacus connecting the capital to the entablature. The entablature is divided into three horizontal registers, the lower part of which is either smooth or divided by horizontal lines. The upper half is distinctive for the Doric order. The frieze of the Doric entablature is divided into triglyphs and metopes. A triglyph is a unit consisting of three vertical bands which are separated by grooves. Metopes are plain or carved reliefs.

The earlier Greek forms of the Doric order came without an individual base. They are placed directly on the stylobate. Later forms, however, came with the conventional base consisting of a plinth and a torus. The Roman versions of the Doric order have smaller proportions. As a result they appear lighter than the Greek orders.

The Ionic order came from eastern Greece, where its origins are entwined with the similar but little known Aeolic order. It is distinguished by slender, fluted pillars with a large base and two opposed volutes in the echinus of the capital. The echinus itself is decorated with an egg-and-dart motif. The Ionic shaft comes with four more flutes than the Doric counterpart. The Ionic base has two convex moldings called tori which are separated by a scotia.

The Ionic order is also marked by an entasis, a curved tapering in the column shaft. A column of the Ionic order is nine or lower diameters. The shaft itself is eight diameters high. The architrave of the entablature commonly consists of three stepped bands. The frieze comes without the Doric triglyph and metope. The frieze sometimes comes with a continuous ornament such as carved figures.

The Corinthian Order is a richly decorated, elegant style. The column is slender, generally diminished and fluted; the attic base, composed of three tori and three scotia divided by fillets, stands on a square plinth; the capital, ball shaped, has two tiers of acanthus or olive leaves, with small stalks rising above and forming four very small volutes, supporting the abacus, which is scooped in profile and also hollow, describing a concave curve. The capital is subjected to considerable variations within these limits, being much decorated.

The entablature is elaborate, with well-formed, decorated architrave. It has a continuous frieze, plain or ornamented with foliage and sculpture, and a complicated projecting cornice, the lower member is often composed of dentils.

This Order was especially esteemed at the Renaissance, and has been largely adopted in modern work.

The Tuscan order has a very plain design, with a plain shaft, and a simple capital, base, and frieze. It is a simplified adaptation of the Doric order by the Romans. The Tuscan order is characterized by an unfluted shaft and a capital that only consist of an echinus and an abacus. In proportions it is similar to the Doric order, but overall it is significantly plainer. The column is normally seven diameters high. Compared to the other orders, the Tuscan order looks the most solid.

 

The Composite Order is, in general, a combination of the Ionic and Corinthian. It has the same proportions as the latter and the same capital, with the exception that the stalks are replaced by the Ionic volute, one at each angle, and the echinus. It is a very ornate Order and was much favoured at the Renaissance, partly for this reason and partly because it was so often associated with the arch, an addition which is one of the marks distinguishing Roman architecture from Greek architecture.

 

9. Fill in the “Marginal chart”:

√	+	-	?
I knew that	I didn’t know that	The information about … contradicts my knowledge because …	The information about … isn’t enough or understandable for me, because …

Vocabulary Focus

10. Match the words from two columns to create a phraseand make sentences to use them in your own text entitled “The Doric order”. Share your ideas with the partner:

to impress	by a round capital
to surround	with flutes
to conform	of a simple necking
to characterize	the spectator
to channel	for the Doric order
to consist	to one of three basic types
a unit	by a columned portico
distinctive	into triglyphs and metopes
to divide	consisting of three vertical bands

 

11. Match the words from two columns to create a phrase and make sentencesto use them in your own text entitled “Distinctive features of the Ionic order”. Share your ideas with the partner:

to distinguish	by an entasis
to decorate	of three stepped bands
to mark	with Aeolic order
to decorate	by slender, fluted pillars
to consist	moldings called tori
to entwine	with an egg-and-dart motif
convex	with carved figures

 

12. Match the words from two columns to create a phrase and make sentencesto use them in your own text entitled “T he Corinthian order and its characteristics ”. Share your ideas with the partner:

 

richly	of three tori and three scotia
generally	by fillets
composed	on a square plinth
to divide	elegant style
to stand	diminished and fluted
ball shaped	in profile
two tiers	capital
scooped	a concave curve
describing	decorated with foliage and sculpture
ornament	of acanthus
a complicated	adopted in modern work
largely	esteemed
especially	projecting cornice

13. Match the words from two columns to create a phrase and make sentencesto use them in your own text entitled “T he Composite order”. Share your ideas with the partner:

 

to characterize	shaft
a simplified	high
an unfluted	the most solid
similar	by a very plain design
seven diameters	adaptation of the Doric order
to look	in proportions

 

14. Match the words from two columns to create a phrase and make sentencesto use them in your own text entitled “Special features of theTuscan order”:

to replace	much
a combination	at each angle
to favour	with the arch
one	by the Ionic volute
to associate	of the Ionic and Corinthian
the mark	in proportions
similar	distinguishing Roman architecture