Questions and Answers
Which architectural orders are recognized in classical Greek and Roman architecture?
What characterizes the Ionic Order?
Volutes on their capitals and slender columns.
What is the purpose of a column's capital?
It broadens the area of the column's supporting surface.
What does the term 'entablature' refer to in architecture?
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What is the function of a cornice?
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What is the frieze in classical architecture?
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What are metopes?
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What does an arch support?
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What occurs when creating a relief sculpture?
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What is travertine?
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What is a pediment?
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What is the lintel?
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Study Notes
Architectural Orders
- An architectural order is a structured assemblage of components with regulated proportions, primarily recognized through columns.
- The five classical architectural orders are Ionic, Doric, Corinthian, Composite, and Tuscan.
Ionic Order
- Originated in ancient Ionia, gaining popularity during the Greek Archaic Period (750-480 BCE).
- Features capital volutes and smaller, more slender columns compared to Doric columns.
Capital
- The capital is the topmost part of a column or pilaster, linking the column to the load above.
- It broadens the supporting area, enhancing stability and aesthetic appeal.
Entablature
- The entablature lies horizontally above columns, consisting of three main elements: architrave, frieze, and cornice.
- Architrave is the immediate supporting member, frieze is a decorative or plain strip, and cornice is the projecting member below the pediment.
Cornice
- A horizontal decorative molding that crowns buildings or architectural elements.
- Functions to direct rainwater away from walls, protecting structures.
Frieze
- The central section of the entablature, which can either be plain or adorned with bas reliefs, particularly in Ionic and Doric styles.
Metopes
- Rectangular elements in Doric friezes located between two triglyphs, often featuring painted or sculptural decorations.
- Notable examples include scenes from the Parthenon marbles, depicting mythological battles.
Architrave
- An essential architectural component in Classical buildings, equivalent to a lintel, resting atop the columns' capitals.
Lintel
- A structural, load-bearing beam often found above doors, windows, and fireplaces, serving decorative purposes as well.
Relief
- A sculptural technique used to create an impression of depth, where the sculptural material appears raised above the background.
- Involves significant chiseling to lower the surrounding fields from a flat surface.
Triglyph
- Characteristic vertically channeled tablets in the Doric frieze, consisting of two perfect channels and one divided channel.
- The areas between triglyphs are known as metopes.
Travertine
- A limestone variety formed by mineral springs, especially prevalent in hot springs environments.
Pediment
- A triangular gable positioned above the entablature, often decorated with relief sculptures depicting mythological or allegorical scenes.
Arch
- Curved structures spanning spaces, capable of supporting above weight, with a historical presence in Mesopotamian architecture as early as the 2nd millennium BCE.
- Romans systematized arch use in various structures.
Vault
- Arched structures forming a continuous arch, typically used to create enclosed spaces or rooms.
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