Classical Architecture

Classical architecture refers to the architecture that corresponds to ancient Greek and Roman civilization. More broadly, it refers to Western architecture that follows the formulas established by classical architecture. People often refer, when speaking of classical architecture, to elements from any epoch that have harmoniously achieved the aesthetic forms that balance elegance and grandeur. Greek historian Plutarch described the architecture of Greece, erected centuries prior to his birth, as of such beauty that it was immediately ancient and yet eternally young. In other words, classical architecture is deemed, through the centuries, as always current and not subject to fads. Classical architecture is present in the Greek Parthenon, as well as in Renaissance architecture such as Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and in the architecture favored by the United States during its early national period.

Background

In classical architecture, the architectural order is a set of elements that provide a building with specific characteristics that ensure harmony and solidity. These elements are most commonly represented in the traditional temple, which is formed by a windowless rectangular space divided into the Naos, or center, the Pronaos or entrance portico, and sometimes an Opisthodomos, or inner chamber.

The classical order results from the combination of three main elements: basement, column and entablature. The entablature is one of the major features of classical architecture, a horizontal upper section resting on the columns and consisting of cornice, frieze, and architrave. A cornice is a horizontal, overhanging feature mostly meant for ornamental purposes, and the frieze is the central section of the entablature, which may be simple or ornamented. The architrave, in turn, was the lowest part of the entablature.

All of these basic elements followed three basic orders or styles: (a) Doric, a robust and simple line; (b) Ionic, with slimmer columns and more abundantly decorated and, (c) Corinthian, the most ornate. Some variations of these styles evolved in other cultures, such as the Egyptian or Roman Doric styles. The Erechtheion, one of the most original examples of classical architecture departs from the style; it is characterized by its graceful columns representing women known as Caryatides.

In classical architecture, columns were meant to support the abacus, which is the slab placed above the column and below the architrave; between the column and the abacus was the capital, which may be simple or highly ornamented.

Architects would rediscover and adopt classical architecture many times throughout history. Among the most influential architects from the Renaissance period, who promoted classical architecture style, is Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). Palladio, who worked mostly in Venice during the sixteenth century, drastically changed the architecture of Europe with his treatise The Four Books of Architecture in which, influenced by Vitruvius, he promotes the adherence to ancient Roman styles. The movement that followed his views is known as Palladianism.

About eighteen villas or country houses designed by Palladio survive today in Italy. Palladio, considered by many scholars as the most influential figure in the history of Western architecture, also inspired the neoclassical schools of architecture of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in North America.

Overview

The philosophy of classical architecture posits that a building must adhere to a universal tradition of beauty. Nevertheless, it is also construction with a purpose. According to Roman architect Vitruvius, an edifice should be beautiful, and also firm or solid, and adequate or useful. Beauty, however, is considered an indispensable part of its function. Classical thought considered that the perfect harmony between beauty and function expressed in architecture served as a metaphor meant to be replicated in human beings, by constantly inspiring them to become better people outwardly and inwardly.

The notion that the importance and function of buildings should be manifested in beautiful harmony remained embedded in culture. Buildings provided institutions, especially government institutions, with a public façade. A building in which grandeur was tempered by grace represented well its owners or institution. Built in durable materials such as marble or granite and following the "classical orders," they were universally understood symbols, meant to become a remembrance for posterity.

Like Palladio, Renaissance architect Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) believed that classical architecture could be adapted to the domestic sphere, stating that classical architecture was meant to adapt its beauty to the most common human activities. His seminal book The Art of Building is still considered one of the theoretical bases of modern architecture.

The notion of public and private space changed through the centuries, and the ways in which societies decked public buildings in dignity and power changed accordingly. One of the elements of classical architecture that survived the centuries was the colonnade or aligned sequence of columns. The political life of Greek citizenry was basically public. Important public spaces were usually framed by important colonnaded buildings, such as temples. Greek and Roman temples had colonnades in their exterior and, sometimes, interior, such as the Parthenon. The agora, the most important public space, was also delineated by columns.

In time, enclosed buildings, rather than open public places, became the centers of political life. Colonnaded façades, which had even numbered columns in the hundreds, decreased in size. However, the aesthetic importance of columns persevered. With the rise of Christianity, churches became the centers of political and public life, and the remaining salient elements of classical architecture changed accordingly. Arches and vaulted ceilings became more common, and columns became interior pillars. Crenellated castle towers replaced façade and friezes, becoming political and military symbols during the remainder of the feudal era.

The classical architectural style was revived during several epochs. Its most celebrated revival was the Renaissance, an era named for the renewal of classical values and aesthetics. Among other eras during which classical architecture became popular again are the French Empire in the early nineteenth century. The United States revived the classical architectural style in the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth century, where it is known as the federal style, promoted by the nation’s founders to reflect in the nascent republic the democratic values and political philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome.

Bibliography

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Rodgers, Nigel. The Art and Architecture of Ancient Greece: An Illustrated Account of Classical Greek Buildings, Sculptures and Paintings. London: Southwater, 2012. Print.

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