The bending of Parthenon.

[Klingan]

This is inspired by Faustus latest photo album.. It's really great!

 

One of the most striking architectural traits of the Parthenon may also be one of the most difficult to notice. When facing the building it

Edited January 14, 2008 by Klingan

[Maty]

One of the interesting things about the Parthenon is that despite appearances there is hardly a straight line in the entire building. Most of the optical tricks are to make the building seem bigger. The columns lean slightly inward, and narrow at the top so as to appear higher than they are. They are also spaced slightly closer at the corners to mimic the effect of greater foreshortening through distance. I'm not sure it was a propaganda thing though. The theory I'm taken with is that by making the building seem even more massive than it was (for example by putting eight columns on the front instead of the traditional six for a Doric temple), the structural reinforcement seems more delicate and the building more graceful as a result. I also like the idea of an unsettling subliminal disharmony which you mention.

 

Given that one can make a case that the Parthenon is possibly the most beautiful temple ever built (especially when you consider the setting), I'd say that Greek architects knew pretty much what they were doing. Admittedly they may not have the names for the psychology that was being applied, but you can do a lot by building on empirical evidence of what works.

[Faustus]

I hope not to interrupt the flow of discussion here to interject a personal point of view: I subscribe to Theory number two. Having a full scale model before the observer relieves one of having to struggle between competing theories, it seems to me.

 

When approaching Nashville's Parthenon, something I had waited decades to do, I was amazed at the features being discussed. I felt I knew the reasons for the "accentuations" immediately visible as seen from the long view. I have a "carpenter's eye" for the kinds of alignments mentioned and my first 30 minutes walking around the building were spent in analysis. Most of the things mentioned I was prepared to take for granted, but when sighting down the

Edited January 15, 2008 by Faustus

[Gaius Octavius]

Is the rear facade the same length as the front facade?

[Klingan]

Is the rear facade the same length as the front facade?

 

To my knowledge, yes.