Ancient Greeks possessed a unique architectural style that is still being replicated today in a myriad of government buildings as well as some of the major monuments around the globe. Some of the unique traits of Greek architecture include tall columns, balance, harmony, symmetry, as well as attention to detail (Ancient Greece Architecture, 2021). The Greeks built a plethora of structures and buildings, but the ones that have garnered much attention are the temples that they built for their different gods. In this particular paper, a hypothetical building or complex is built for a Greek deity using the Greek architectural characteristics and elements.
The main reason why I chose the ancient Greek era as a demonstration for my hypothetical structure is because of the logic and order associated with the era’s architecture. This is primarily because the Hellenes planned their structures, such as temples, as per a coding scheme of parts that is based first on function, then on a logical framework of sculptural decoration. The hypothetical building would be a temple for the goddess of shining and light, Theia. I chose this particular deity since light is one of the essential elements of life, and because she embodies it, she is the best candidate for representation. The temple would be located in the city of Athens because it is a populous location meaning that more people would be able to visit the temple.
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The building will be made of limestone, whereby some of the major structures, such as the pillars and walls, would be made of marble. The building would be oblong, meaning it would approximately twice as long as it is wide and would follow the Doric order as the structural system governing its constructional traits. This style of structuring is chosen because it is simpler compared to the Corinthian and Ionic styles. The oblong floor incorporates a colonnade of columns on all four corners and would have a front and back porch. The columns would be carved from limestone, as the upper facades would be decorated with marble (Greek Architecture (c.900-27 BCE), 2021). The vertical upright columns would support the horizontal beams, and each column would be composed of capital and a shaft whereby the shaft would have decorations of spiral or vertical grooves alluded to as fluting. The columns’ diameters decrease from the bottom upwards. A critical feature of the building would be the propylaea which is a monumental gateway or entrance to the temple, and they are important because when people use such a pathway into the temple, it symbolizes that they are leaving their secular life behind and moving into a higher state of spirituality and religiousness.
The interior of Theia’s temple would consist of an inner shrine where her statue would be housed. In the same manner, an interior antechamber that is to be used for storage purposes would be crucial and would thus be incorporated into the structure. Such chambers are also to be used by devotees to leave their offerings to the god, including weapons, objects, precious objects, money, and other offerings. The base of the temple would be made of masonry, which will be able to elevate it above the ground consisting of three sections, including one stylobate and two stereobates. The roofing would be made of ceramic terracotta tiles since the structure would have the capacity to support it. However, to go with the theme of the goddess of light, the roof would contain some translucent layers to allow for light to penetrate through and into the temple. This would enable natural lighting and ambiance of the temple of light, thus encapsulating the element of light in association with the deity.
References
Ancient Greece Architecture. (2021). Retrieved 6 July 2021, from https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greece/architecture.php
Greek Architecture: History, Characteristics. (2021). Retrieved 6 July 2021, from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/architecture/greek.htm#base
