Doric order

The Doric order is one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. It is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of the columns. Originating in the western Doric region of Greece, it is the earliest and simplest of the orders, though still with complex details in the entablature above.

The Greek Doric column was fluted, and had no base, dropping straight into the stylobate or platform on which the temple or other building stood. The capital was a simple circular form, with some mouldings, under a square cushion. Above a plain architrave, the complexity comes in the frieze, with special features that remember the beams and pegs of wooden buildings that came before stone temples.

The Doric order was much used in Greek Revival architecture from the 18th century onwards. It is often considered strong and masculine, and is normally the cheapest of the orders to use. When the three orders are stacked, the Doric is usually at the bottom, representing the strongest and often supporting another order above it.

History

Greek

In ancient Greece, Doric columns stood right on the flat floor of a temple without any base. They were shorter and thicker than other columns, with a height about four to eight times their width. The columns had straight lines carved along their length and ended in a simple round shape on top.

The Parthenon in Athens is a famous example of the Doric style. It was very popular in early Greece, from about 750 to 480 BC, and also in places like southern Italy. These early buildings had wider column tops than later ones.

A special feature of Doric buildings is the pattern of long wooden-like blocks called triglyphs and spaces between them called metopes. The triglyphs had carved lines, and the metopes could be left plain or carved with pictures.

Spacing the triglyphs

Arranging the triglyphs was tricky. They needed to line up with the columns, but fitting them at the corners was hard. Architects found several ways to solve this, such as placing the last two columns closer together or using wider corner triglyphs.

Temples

Many ideas exist about where the Doric style came from. Some think it came from early wooden buildings, others from ancient Egypt, and some from even older Greek structures. The Doric style became popular around the 6th century BC. Early examples include temples in Corinth and Paestum in Italy. These early temples had very thick columns with wide tops.

One big temple on the island of Delos was started in 478 BC but never finished. It had six columns across the front and thirteen along the sides. A classic example is the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, built around 447 BC. The Parthenon, also in Athens, is another perfect example of Doric architecture.

Roman

The Romans used a slightly different version of the Doric style. They made the top parts of the buildings smaller and changed the way columns and triglyphs lined up. Roman Doric columns were a bit slimmer and sometimes had extra designs at the top and bottom. They often did not carve lines along the columns.

The Roman architect Vitruvius wrote about how to build using a set measure based on the column's width. Later, artists like Andrea Palladio used these ideas in their designs.

Modern

Before the 18th century, the Doric style was not used much except in some special cases. But during the Greek Revival, it became popular again, standing for simplicity and serious purpose. In different countries, it was used to show various meanings, like honesty in a customs house or purity in a church.

The Doric style returned to Sicily in 1789 when a French architect designed an entrance to the Botanical Gardens in Palermo.

Examples

Some famous buildings use the Doric style. In ancient Greece, you can see it in places like the Temple of Artemis, Corfu and the Parthenon in Athens. During the Renaissance, architects like Andrea Palladio used Doric design in buildings such as the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza.

In more recent times, many important buildings still use Doric ideas. Examples include the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, which has a very tall Doric column. The Harding Tomb in Marion, Ohio also uses Doric columns in its design.