Architecture Paper
HUM/266

Architecture Paper
Even though Classical Greek and medieval Gothic architectures takes place in different time periods, they still share similarities in that they built architecture for the means of worshiping. Medieval Gothic architecture is primarily found in cathedrals of Western Europe dating back to the 16th century, whereas classical Greek architectures are commonly found in the temples of Greece dating back to the 7th century BC. Supportive columns made of stone were used in both Gothic and Greek architecture, but the style of the building catered to environment where the building is located. In Greece, architecture favored open spaces and buildings that were at least partly open to the elements while the Gothic style necessitated closed windows and small exterior doorways that could be closed against the cold (Allen, n.d.). This paper will compare and give information on the architectures of the Parthenon Classical Greek Temple and the Salisbury medieval Gothic cathedral. Both were unique and brought innovative ideas to architecture for its specific era.
The Parthenon construction began in 447 BC, but finished in 438 BC. It was built to replace an earlier temple that was destroyed in battle by the Persians in 490 BC. The Parthenon was built as a dedication to the goddess Athena and served the purpose to store the chryselephantine statue of Athena. According to "Odysseus" (2012), “Parthenon was designed by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, while the sculptor Pheidias supervised the entire building program and conceived the temple's sculptural decoration and chryselephantine statue of Athena.”
The Parthenon was built as a Doric style temple. It consists of a rectangular floor plan with a chain of low steps on each side, and a series of columns extending around the outside the entire structure. It was successfully designed to give off a simple, yet unique look. The architects seemed to be excellent scholars of visual illusion, making columns appear thinner and farther apart by designing the columns at the corners of the temple larger than the other columns while making the space around them smaller than the rest of the columns ("Ancient-Greece.org", n.d.). This was an innovative approach to the basic Doric style used on other temples at that time. Moreover, the sculptural décor used were lavished enough to furthermore outshine other temples. The doors were heavily decorated with gorgon sculptures, lion heads, and other bronze ornaments ("Ancient-Greece.org", n.d.).
The Salisbury Cathedral took a total of 38 years to build, from year 1220 to year 1258. The idea of building Salisbury Cathedral began from the need to relocate the earlier cathedral, Old Serum, which was said to be cold, inhospitable, and unserviceable ("Discover England Tours", n.d.). Like most cathedrals, Salisbury was and is currently used as a place for prayer and worship. It is currently the largest and highest cathedral in Britain, with a spire of 404-feet tall.
Salisbury was carefully designed to set it apart from any other cathedral at that time. The architects emerged in the, at the time, popular gothic architecture style designing lancet shapes and pointed arches. According to "Smart History" (n.d.), “The narrow piers of the cathedral were made of cut stone rather than rubble-filled drums, as in earlier buildings, which changed the method of distributing the structure’s weight and allowed for more light in the interior.” Its architecture differed from the usual medieval Gothic architectural style by the layered cake look of the lower level. The lower level of was cut off by a stringcourse that runs between it and the triforium, which was new compared to the typical gothic style church that had columns or piers stretch upwards to the ceiling or vault ("Smart History", n.d.). Overtime, architects have made major restorations to Salisbury to fit their contemporary taste, so some of the original décor of the cathedral has been lost. Originally the decoration of the cathedral had a polished look about it. The interior included large stain glass with 13-century colors of blues, yellows, and reds, small chapels, and statues. Salisbury was revolutionary in that it was designed with windows that allowed light into such a large enclosed building, which was uncommon to the Gothic style.
In conclusion I have compared a classic Greek architecture, Parthenon, and a medieval gothic architecture, Salisbury. Even though they shared little similarities, both were uniquely built to cater to its location and time period. Furthermore, both brought innovative ideas of architecture to its era. As someone who enjoys reading and learning about the medieval gothic era, I personally find the Salisbury cathedral more interesting and appealing. After reading the book, “The Pillars of the Earth,” I have been infatuated with the detailing and size of different cathedrals in Europe. I find it amazing that people could build such large beautiful buildings with little to no technology. Also knowing the time and effort that went into making the Salisbury cathedral is enough to make me appreciate its design.

References
Odysseus. (2012). Retrieved from http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/eh251.jsp?obj_id=912

Ancient-Greece.org. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ancient-greece.org/architecture/parthenon2.html

Discover England Tours. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.discoverenglandtours.co.uk/salisburycathedral.html

Smart History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/salisbury-cathedral.html

Allen, J. (n.d.). EHow. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/facts_7153831_compare-gothic-architecture-greek-architecture.html