Knowra Classical orders Classical orders Classical orders are systems for designing columns and their entablatures, distinguished by proportions and characteristic forms. The five orders are Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and Composite.
Column : A vertical structural or ornamental support, often composed of a base, shaft, and capital. Each order specifies a distinctive design for this central architectural element.
Doric order : A classical order with a plain, sturdy column and a distinctive triglyph-and-metope frieze. It is the most restrained Greek order and a clear baseline for comparison.
Ancient Greek architecture : The architecture of Greek-speaking communities from the early Iron Age through the Hellenistic period. Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian forms took shape in Greek building traditions.
Classical architecture : Architecture based on the forms, principles, and precedents of ancient Greek and Roman building. The orders are among its most recognizable and reusable design systems.
Classicism : An artistic approach that draws on the forms, principles, and ideals of ancient Greece and Rome. The orders became a lasting vocabulary through which classicism could be recognized.
Entablature : The horizontal assembly above a column, typically comprising an architrave, frieze, and cornice. Its form changes with the order and completes the column-and-entablature system.
Ionic order : A classical order recognized by volutes on its capital and a continuous or divided frieze. Its scroll-shaped capital and slender proportions contrast with Doric severity.
Ancient Roman architecture : The architecture produced in Rome and its territories from the Republic through the late Empire. Romans adapted Greek orders and established the Tuscan and Composite orders.
Palladian architecture : An architectural tradition inspired by Andrea Palladio’s study and interpretation of ancient Roman buildings. Palladio used classical orders within carefully proportioned villas, palaces, and churches.
Beaux-Arts architecture : An academic architectural style based on French training, classical precedent, and elaborate composition. Its designers used orders within monumental, formally composed buildings.
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