Classic Architecture: 10 Iconic Structures of Classical Architecture
Classical architecture/ Classic Architecture developed out of a straightforward construction & emerged as an expressive, poetic language of built form.
The foundation of Western architecture is thought to be Roman classicism. Roman literature, philosophy, history, and sculpture were studied as the first steps toward the Renaissance's relearning of ancient Roman culture.
Before a major discovery was made in an old treatise on architecture by an architect named Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, Renaissance architects were at a loss as to how to design new buildings using classical vocabulary. The revival of traditional design ideas was aided by this thorough documentation of the structure, materials, and processes.
CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE
The term "classical architecture" refers to a style of buildings that were originally built by the Ancient Greeks and Romans, particularly between the fifth century BC in Greece and the third century AD in Rome. The style of classical architecture has been replicated throughout architectural history whenever builders have looked to the past for guidance and inspiration as well as to find lost ideals. In the past, builders often used marble or another beautiful, durable stone to construct classical buildings; however, in more recent times, they have also used brick, concrete, and stone. Originally trabeated (post and beam) architecture developed from timber origins.
Greek architecture was characterized by a highly structured system of proportions that connected the building's individual parts to its overall structure. The three fundamental styles, or "orders," that made up the core of traditional Greek architecture—Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian—were followed in the development of this system. These were also commonly utilized by the Romans, who also added the Tuscan and Composite orders.
1. Parthenon | Classical Architecture
Parthenon – A perfect example of Classical Architecture
Cornice Details of the Classical Architecture of the Parthenon
The Parthenon was built between 447 and 432 BCE as the centerpiece of the Acropolis building complex. It is a Doric temple with eight columns at the façade and seventeen columns at the flanks. Because of its position atop the Acropolis, the Parthenon dominates the Athens skyline. The temple's primary purpose was to house the enormous statue of Athena. All Greek temples were meant to be viewed from the outside; visitors were only allowed to peer inside through open doors.
2. Erechtheion
Night view of the Erechtheion
Close up view of the Erechtheion
The most famous temple on the Acropolis was the Parthenon. Another structure constructed to support the religious rites held in the previous temple was the Erechtheion. Around 406 B.C., work on the Erechtheion's construction came to an end. Six elongated Ionic columns line the entrance of the temple, which faces east. The temple's wall descends sharply to the north and west, reaching nearly twice the height of the front and south faces. The temple has two porches: the towering Ionic columns supporting the porch at the northwest corner and the six enormous female sculptures, known as the Caryatids, supporting the porch at the southwest corner.
3. Hephaisteion | Classic Architecture
Temple of Hephaistos
Perched atop the Agora's hill is the Hephaisteion, also called the Temple of Hephaistos. It was devoted to the goddess of arts and crafts, Athena, and the furnace god, Hephaistos. It began to be built between 460 and 450 BCE. There used to be a lot of craftspeople in the area. Moreover, Pentelic marble comprises nearly all of the temple's construction. But limestone makes up the base. In addition, it features 34 columns: 13 on each side and 6 in the front and back. The temple was transformed into St. Georgios Church in the seventh century.
4. Colosseum
The Flavian Amphitheatre was the original name of the Colosseum.
When it was constructed in 70–80 A.D., it could hold 10,000 standing and 60,000 sitting people. There are 80 entrances to the Colosseum. It is regarded as one of the greatest pieces of engineering and architecture, and it is the largest amphitheater ever constructed.
5. Maison Carree | Classical Architecture
Maison Carrée, located in Nîmes, southern France, is one of the best-preserved Roman Empire temples.
Marcus Agrippa ordered it, and it debuted between 16 and 20 B.C. It was so important to the Classical Revival that it served as the model for several imposing structures, including the Virginia State Capitol designed by Thomas Jefferson in 1788, and La Madeleine, a building in Paris constructed in 1806. Rome's architects used the local limestone to construct it. On the west end, a massive set of stairs leads up to it. It is perched on a huge podium, almost ten feet high. The temple is rectangular and features a single portico on its west side made up of six 33-foot-tall Corinthian columns, despite its French name, which translates to "Square House."
6. Temple of Apollo, Pompeii
It has been estimated that the Apollo Temple in Corinth, Greece, was built in 540 BC. An older temple was to be replaced by this one. The temple's architecture is Doric. There were six columns at each end and fifteen on each side. In addition, its dimensions were 21 meters (70 feet) by 53 meters (174 feet).
Single stones are used to create the Doric columns. The stone that was utilized was limestone, and white marble stucco was applied on its surface. There is proof that the Greek explorer and geographer Pausanias, who is thought to have written his accounts between 155 and 180 AD, mentioned the presence of an Apollo bronze statue in the Temple.
7. Pantheon
Rome, Italy is home to the Pantheon. All the gods are worshipped in the Pantheon. "Theon" denotes divinity, while "Pan" signifies everything. Between 118 and 125 A.D., Emperor Hadrian constructed the Pantheon.
The original church's construction was overseen by statesman and general Marcus Agrippa, whose inscription is visible above the portico.
Pope Boniface IV transformed it into a Christian church in 609 and dedicated it to Santa Maria of the Martyrs. It was transformed into an Italian royal memorial chapel in 1870. The pantheon contains the tombs of Vittorio Emanuele II, Umberto I, and Margherita of Savoy, as well as the well-known Renaissance artist Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as just Raphael.
8. Birmingham Town Hall
Located in Victoria Square, Birmingham, England, Birmingham Town Hall is a Grade I listed music hall that serves as a venue for public meetings. It was first opened for business in 1834. Birmingham Town Hall was the first notable example of the 19th-century revival of Roman architecture, a style chosen here in the context of the highly charged radicalism of 1830s Birmingham because of its republican associations. It was also the first of the monumental town halls that would come to characterize the cities of Victorian England. The dimensions of the Roman Forum's Temple of Castor and Pollux served as the model for the design. Standing atop a lofty, rusticated platform, "perfect and aloof," it introduced a completely new idea in English.
9. The Civic Center, San Francisco
Many of the biggest government and cultural organizations in the city are located at the Civic Center, which is a few blocks north of the intersection of Market Street and Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, California. It features several buildings in the classical architectural style as well as two sizable plazas, United Nations Plaza and Civic Center Plaza. The United Nations was founded in 1945 when the United Nations Charter was signed in the Kräuter Theatre of the War Memorial Veterans Building.
10. Hotel Ritz, Paris | Classical Architecture
At number 15, it has a view of the Place Vendôme's octagonal edge. The hotel is a part of "The Leading Hotels of the World" and is regarded as one of the most opulent and distinguished hotels in the world. The townhouse from the eighteenth century was the backdrop behind which the hotel was built. It was one of the first hotels in Europe to give every room a telephone, electricity, and an en-suite bathroom. It gained a reputation for luxury fast and drew in a clientele that included musicians, politicians, writers, actors, and members of the nobility. The hotel has named a few of its apartments after well-known visitors, such as Coco Chanel, while the cocktail lounge Bar Hemingway honors author Ernest Hemingway.
