Academy of Athens Architecture

Architecture

• The Academy of Athens was designed as part of an architectural "trilogy" in 1859 by Danish architect Theophil Hansen, along with the University and the National Library.
• Construction of the Academy of Athens began in 1859 but was not completed until 1885.
• Greek sculptor Leonidas Drosis sculpted the multi-figure pediment sculpture and the figures of Athena and Apollo on the pair of pillars flanking the Academy's portico.

Neoclassical Architecture

• The east wing of Buckingham Palace was completed in 1850 and remodeled to its current form with the addition of three pediments, Corinthian pilasters, and columns, and rusticated masonry on the ground level in 1913.
• The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary features a significant pediment supported by pilasters of the Corinthian order.
• Saint Anne's Church in Warsaw has a distinctive neoclassical facade, designed by Chrystian Piotr Aigner under the reign of King Stanisław August Poniatowski, featuring a significant pediment supported by pilasters of the Corinthian order.

Federal-Style Architecture

• The White House is a neoclassical building and is also classified as Federal-style architecture, which is the name for buildings constructed between 1780 and 1830 in the newly founded United States of America.
• The U.S. Capitol Building, which began construction in 1793, is the realization of Thomas Jefferson’s desire that it resembles an ancient Roman temple.

Ancient Greek and Roman Inspirations

• The Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. took inspiration from ancient Greece, the birthplace of democracy, to honor an American president recognized for his devotion to its principles.
• The monument was inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, which was completed in 438 B.C. and is still considered one of the greatest works of architecture in the world.
• The U.S. Supreme Court Building is inspired by the great temples of ancient Rome, with its sweeping staircase and monumental entrance portico comprised of tall Corinthian columns.

Other Examples

• Chiswick House in west London, designed by Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington, and completed in 1729, is one of the finest surviving examples of Palladian-inspired architecture.
• The Pantheon in Paris was commissioned by King Louis XV, who intended for it to be a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, and was designed by architect Jacques-Germain Soufflot, built between 1758 and 1790.
• The Pantheon's dome, which features neoclassical coffers, is constructed of stone; its facade and peristyle, modeled after a Greek temple and featuring Corinthian columns and sculpture by David d'Angers, were completed in 1837.