Architectural History Computer Aided Design-Architecture

Historical Cultures Romans Greeks Chinese Mayans Egyptians

Roman Republic (753 B.C.-476 A.D.) In the 7th and 6th century BC, the kings of Etruria ruled Rome. This was the country of the Etruscans, living north of Rome. Towards the end of the 7th century BC, Rome became a real city. Above: Clay heating ducts (hypocausts) embedded in the wall of a house, Pompeii

Romans Roman style of architecture was under the influence of the Etruscans till the fifth century BC. Besides the influences of the Etruscan architectural style there is the influence of the Greeks. Especially the Corinthian style had its influence. An important difference is that the columns often lost their function of bearing the roof. The Romans just used them for the purpose of decoration.

Building Materials Natural stone was the most important building material. Volcanic tuff stone was found in different colors. Travertine, white limestone from the surroundings of Tivoli, was also popular. Many Roman buildings were built of stone, without the use of mortar or cement, and later covered with bricks.

Roman Forum Roman Forum, was the place where the victorious legions held their triumphal marches, where the deaths of famous persons were made public, where the corpses of emperors were burned, where the heads of emperors rolled, in short the centre of power of the Roman empire.

Colosseum The Colosseum was built during the reign of Emperor Vespasiano c. 72 AD and dedicated in 80 AD by his son Titus. It is over 160 ft high with eighty entrances. The Colosseum could hold upwards of 50,000 spectators.

Arch of Titus

The Amphitheater, Pompeii destroyed in August, 79 AD

Greeks Classical Period 479 - 323 B.C. Greek architecture has often been seen as the ideal of artistic symmetry, grace, strength and beauty. The Romans often modeled their public buildings after Greek temples, such as the Parthenon. Greek architecture dominates the government buildings of Washington D.C., and many other cities around the United States.

Column Types: The Doric and Ionic columns were seen in ancient Greece while the Corinthian column was seen in ancient Rome.

Doric Column The Doric column was sturdy, and its top was plain. This style was most often used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.

Ionic Column The Ionic column was thinner and more slender than the Doric column. Its capital was decorated with a scroll-like design, and figures were carved on the base of the column.

Corinthian Elaborate and decorative designs on the top. Representative of the Roman Empire.

Parthenon The Parthenon, built between 447 and 438 BC, is a great example of a temple that is both beautiful and simple. The Parthenon was built to house a huge gold and ivory statue of the goddess Athena. The temple had eight columns in the front and in the back, and it was surrounded by a colonadde.

Parthenon

Government Buildings This picture was taken of a government building in Nashville, Tennessee, that was modeled after the Greek style of architecture. Many government buildings were modeled after Greek temples because the temples were so symmetrical and graceful.

Rich Person’s House in Greece

Chinese (2100-1600 B.C.) A Chinese structure is based on the principle of balance and symmetry. The distribution of interior space reflects Chinese social and ethnical values. For example, a traditional residential building assigns family members based on the family's hierarchy.

Great Wall The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from invaders from the Mongolians. This huge wall stretches over 1,500 miles. It is believed to be built between 246 and 209 B. C.

Roofs Roofs did not only protect residences from the elements, they also had a deeper meaning. For example, temple roofs were curved because the Buddhist believed that it helped ward off evil spirits which were believed to be straight lines.

Mayan (2000 B. C. - 100 A. D.). The Maya are known for many things, such as, mathematics, food, and, especially, their architecture. Some of the Maya's architecture ranges from small huts, to large houses, to beautiful, elaborate temples.

Style Almost every Maya structure varies in height according to the substance that was used on the building on the top (hay, stone, mud). The steps, they were usually wide and steep. They were built on either one or more sides. Mayas may have cut and polished the stone blocks individually for their buildings. The exterior as well as the interior walls were originally covered with a substance called lime stucco.

Temple

Egyptians - 2550 B.C. The architecture was based upon perpendicular structures and inclined planes since there was no structural assistance except the strength and balance of the structure itself. The size, design, and structure of the pyramids reveal the skill of these ancient builders. The pyramids were great monuments and tombs for the kings.

How to build a pyramid... The ramps were built on inclined planes of mud brick and rubble. They then dragged the blocks on sledges to the needed height. As the pyramid grew taller, the ramp had to be extended in length, and its base was widened, else it would collapse.

References: Andrus-Walck, Kathryn. "Roman Art and Architecture." Harpy Web Site. Est. April 1996, updated Jan. 2000. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. January 4, 2000. <http://harpy.uccs.edu/index.html> http://touregypt.net/construction/ http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/index.html http://members.tripod.com/jtrexler/Main.html http://library.thinkquest.org/11402/home_intro.html