Agora: The or Town Square, Was The Centre of Greek Social and Business Life, Around or Near Which Were
Agora: The or Town Square, Was The Centre of Greek Social and Business Life, Around or Near Which Were
Agora: The or Town Square, Was The Centre of Greek Social and Business Life, Around or Near Which Were
THE HIPPODROME was a similar, though longer type of building for horse
and chariot racing, and was the prototype of the Roman circus. Few traces now
remain
NAVAL BUILDINGS included ship-sheds and stores.
The Arsenal at the Piraeus, built c. 340 B.C., a long narrow building for the
storage of sailing tackle of the Athenian navy, is chiefly important in that the
specification survives to show that still at that time the principle of the timber roof
truss was not understood.
The so called Sanctuary of the Bulls, Delos (third century B.C.) (p. 1570, E, F H'
was similar in form, 220 ft long and 30 ft wide, and was a sacred, commemorative
building housing a war galley in a shallow, dry tank.
At the far end was a sanctuary approached through an entrance flanked by piers
which were half Doric column and halfantae capped by recumbent sculptured bulls.
OPTICAL CORRECTIONS
Making the whole base of the building slightly curved
and elevated so that the structural elements should
appear straight when seen against the sky.
Use of idea of bulging the columns at the middle or 1/3rd from the base in
elevation so that it appears straight when seen from distance.
i.e the bulge was obtained by bisecting the space between the top portion of the
column is bigger and larger base of the column.
Use of darker colour for columns against white background appear thinner hence reverse was made to
appear stronger.
Regarding the use of calligraphy on the architrave of the beam the alphabets were made bigger than
the proportion of normal size so that it appears from a distance.
External columns of the façade was slightly inclined towards the inner side that they
would appear stronger when seen inside elevation.
Further last bay in the front row the intercolumniation space should be smaller so
that it would act like border for the building and gives strength to elevation especially
in edge or corner.
Other refinements includes Golden section, Golden rectangle and Golden mean.
Concept of arithmetic and geometric progression.
Use of finely refined moulding Eg: Cyma recta, Cyma reversa, Birds beak, torus etc..
Greek painted the buildings in marble and dark colors both ceremonial and
protection purpose.