III. Realization ( Осмысление )

8. Read the text and answer the following questions:

1. What are the main parts of the column?

2. Where is the column placed?

3. What is the lowest part of the base?

4. What is placed on top of the base?

5. What element is on top of the shaft?

6. What is the upper horizontal part of the column?

7. What parts does the entablature comprise?

 

8. Read the text once again and fill in the second column of the “logbook”

 

The Elements of Classical Architecture

All classical architecture of the Greco-Roman tradition is composed in one language of forms. These elements of classical architecture include specific moldings and assemblages of moldings called an Order. An order is an accepted way of assembling a column (supporting element) with an entablature (spanning element) while imparting a certain character.

The Classical orders are ancient styles of classical or neoclassical building design distinguished by the type of column and entablature (architrave, frieze and cornice) used. There are five recognized orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian are Greek; Tuscan and Composite are Roman.

Parts of a Column                                  

An order is divided into a shaft, its base and its capital. In classical buildings the upper horizontal part is called an entablature. The entablature is supported by the column. It is commonly divided into the architrave, the frieze and the cornice. To distinguish between different classical orders, the capital is used as the most distinct characteristics.

 

A complete column and entablature consist of a number of distinct parts. At the bottom there is the stylobate. The stylobate is a flat pavement on which the columns are placed. Out of the stylobate the plinth comes. The plinth is a square block – sometimes circular – which forms the lowest part of the base. Further up the remainder of the base comes: one or many circular moldings with profiles. Common examples are the Torus, the Scotia, fillets or bands. The Torus is a semi-circular convex molding, while the Scotia has a concave profile.

On top of the base, the shaft is placed. The shaft is cylindrical in shape and both long and narrow. It is placed vertically atop the base. The shaft is sometimes decorated with fluting. Fluting involves vertical grooves. Sometimes the shaft is wider at the bottom than at the top.

The capital comes on top of the shaft. The function of the capital is to concentrate the weight of the entablature onto the shaft, but it also serves an aesthetic purpose. The simplest form of the capital is the Doric, consisting of three parts. The necking is the continuation of the shaft, but it is visually separated by one or many grooves. The echinus lies atop the necking. It is a circular block that bulges outwards towards the top. This is so in order to support the abacus. The abacus is the third part of a Doric capital. It is a square block that supports the entablature which lies above.

The entablature consists of three horizontal layers, all of which are visually separated from each other using moldings or bands. The three layers of the entablature have distinct names: the architrave comes at the bottom, the frieze is in the middle and the cornice lies on the top.

 

Vocabulary Focus                     

9. Match the words from two columns to create a phrase and make sentences to use them in your own text entitled “The ancient order”. Share your ideas with the partner:

an accepted	outwards towards the top
to distinguish	an aesthetic purpose
to divide	the lowest part of the base
to support	vertically atop the base
the most	the weight of the entablature
to form	by the type of column and entablature
to place	by the column
to concentrate	way of assembling a column
to serve	distinct characteristics
to bulge	into a shaft, a base and a capital