HOME > ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE
| | |
|
THE ORDERS OF ARCHITECTURE
To study the Orders of Architecture, one must first look at the orders of Ancient Greece. There were many Renaissance writers who codified the orders while ignoring the Greeks - mostly because there was little to look at to compare with. Albeit, Vitruvius referenced Greek architecture in his treatise, The Antiquities of Athens - by Stuart and Revett.
Greece is not the original source of the classical orders; it is simply the area that they matured and developed. Posts and beams are practically universal and can be seen in work found in Cretan and Minoan. In the Near East, you can find volutes and flower decorations - precursors to the Ionic capital. Fluting and molded entablatures appear in early Egypt. The Greeks, however, brought it all together over a period from about
700 B.C., and they continued to evolve the orders - recognizable and classifiable in all their elements.
At a closer look, the Greeks evolved the Doric Order and the Ionic Order. There is a tendency to regard the Doric Order as the earliest of all the orders because it is often viewed as the simplest order. The Ionic Order is known for its sophistications, but the underlying theme is that both the Doric Order and Ionic Order developed side-by-side during Ancient Greece.
|
|
VIGNOLA
The work of Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola is the inspiration for Chadsworth’s Columns. Vignola,who lived in 16th century Italy, is regarded as the authority on Greek and Roman columnar orders. He sought to establish and formulate guidelines for the use of these supports.
Vignola’s purest approach focused attention on structural design, revitalizing the Greek and Roman orders. Prior to Vignola’s work, Renaissance artisans placed the focus on ornamentation of the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns (orders).
THE FIVE ORDERS
The Greek Doric Order is the oldest, simplest and sturdiest of the five Classical Orders. Distinguishing characteristics of the Doric Order are that it has no base or plinth and that it is thicker than an Ionic or a Corinthian column of the same height. The Doric has shallow flutes and an entasis, which is a flat curve on the tapering shaft. The columns of the Parthenon, the most famous temple on the Acropolis in Athens, are of the Doric Order.
The Ionic Order has twenty-four flutes or vertical grooves which emphasize its height. The volutes, or stone spirals, are the most distinctive feature of these columns. The capital resembles an open scroll. The columns of the Erechtheum, a temple on the Acropolis, are of the Ionic Order.
The Corinthian Order is distinguished by the tall inverted bell-shaped capital which is decorated with carved acanthus leaves and small volutes. Almost all of the buildings erected by the Romans employ this Order. The columns of the Monument of Lysicrates and the Olympieion in Athens are of the Corinthian Order.
The Tuscan Order is noted for its simplicity and is an adaptation of the Doric. The columns of the Temple of Piety in Rome and the Lower Order of the Amphitheater at Arles are of the Tuscan Order.
The Composite Order is a heavier Corinthian column and its capital is an ornate combination of the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Composite capital and a Corinthian entablature are used in the Arch of Titus in Rome.
Our proportioning scale follows that of Vignola. We recognize that other designs, such as those of Palladio, Serlio, etc. are available and we can follow those at your discretion.
|
|
|
| |
| | |
|
|