GREECE

BALANCE

PROPORTION

SIMPLICITY

The Greek culture had a penchant for integrating structural marvels with visually appealing lines to create the Corinthian, Doric and Ionic orders. These three column fundamentals became the bases for temples, stadiums and theatrical layouts that are still seen in the modern structures of today.

While there are many examples of columns, steps and platforms in ancient Greek culture, one of the most familiar and inspirational is THE PARTHENON.

GREECE

Design Architects – Ictinus and Calibrates

Athens, GreeceTHE PARTHENON

This enormous structure was built to herald and protect a larger-than-life gold and ivory statue of the Greek goddess Athena. Built under the direction of Pericles, The Parthenon was completed in 432 BCE. This stone temple is one of many made with architecture that was sophisticated even in its time.

PARTHENON

The interior statue of Athena Parthenos was designed by Phidias and Kalamis, as were many of the Parthenon’s decorative elements.

PARTHENON

TAKINGTHINGS

TO ANOTHERLEVEL

ROME

The Romans followed the essential Greek elements, building upon them to design and create some functional and decorative structures of their own. Their grasp of ARTchitecture led to two more orders, Tuscan and Composite, and even more impressive design fundamentals.

The use of arches, cornices, verandas, decorations, domes and columns morphed into basilicas, bath houses, grand residences and public buildings. Outdoor structures of grandeur included amphitheaters, aqueducts, fountains, bridges and arches conceived in Rome and constructed throughout the Empire. The Colosseum is among these advanced structures.

ROME

FRANCE

INSPIREDBY

ROME

The Roman Empire began its quest into modern-day France around 125 BCE. The structural and artistic foundations of Roman ARTchitecture were expanded and improved upon over the next several centuries as the Empire itself crumbled.

Paris is often considered the fascinating birthplace of ingenuity, changing the face of architecture and engineering during the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Classicism, Neoclassic and Modern periods. Strong lines, simple curves, balconies, asymmetrical shapes and intricately ornate decorations are just a few of the creative elements. These Parisian influences are seen in basilicas, towers, palaces and stately buildings.

FRANCE

BASILIQUE CATHÉDRALE DE SAINT DENIS

Saint Denis, France

Design Architects – Under the direction of Abbot Suger

A notable example of ARTchitecture in Paris, the first Gothic cathedral was built in nearby Saint Denis. Its most significant construction lasted from 1140 to 1144. The abbey was the resting place of many French kings, and a centerpiece for Catholic worship. Ornate decorations include stained glass, 70 sculpted statues, crenellated parapets, and walls painted in gold and bright colors. Columns, arches, high ceilings and buttresses from the Basilique Cathedrale de Saint Denis were mimicked in many other basilicas and buildings through time.

BASILIQUE CATHÉDRALE

Design Architects – Under the direction of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa

The Gardon River, FrancePONT DU GARD

Often considered an artistic and engineering masterpiece, the Pont du Gard is part of an aqueduct system built by the Romans early in the 1st century. Under the rule of the Roman Empire, the nearby city of Nives relied on this innovative water supply system. . It ’s a three-story structure of arches nearly 55 yards high and 31 miles long. More than 50 tons of yellow limestone were cut into slabs, numbered and assembled, then held together with mortar.

PONT DU GARD

The project was directed by the son-in-law of Augustus, although the names of the architects and engineers are unknown. A similar series of arches and pillars are seen in many bridges and waterways throughout the world.

PONT DU GARD

FAMOUS ARTCHITECTURE

TRENDSETTERS

There are hundreds of structures throughout the world that have borrowed their ARTchitectural designs from the Greek, Roman and Parisian pioneers. Some of the most stunning are both beautiful and functional at the same time.

BURJ KHALIFA

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Design Architects – Adrian Smith, FAIA of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

At 2,723 feet tall, the Burj Khalifa dominates the landscape of Dubai. It was designed by the same architectural firm as the Willis Tower in Chicago to become the tallest building in the world. Completed in 2010, the Burj Khalifa has more than 160 stories. Its influences and inspirations stem from Islamic architecture, especially from the visionary onion domes and spires.

BURJ KHALIFA

2,723feet tall

MUSEO GUGGENHEIM

Bilbao, Spain

Design Architect – Frank Gehry

Interconnecting blocks and curling sheets of titanium are the main exterior features of this 1997 art museum. It plays to the industrial area where it was erected. Reminiscent of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, which was built by Frank Lloyd Wright, it has geometric shapes, sharp angles and flowing curves. It also borrows its asymmetrical shapes and buttresses from Parisian architecture.

MUSEO GUGGENHEIM

INDUSTRIALMASTERPIECE

WINTER PALACE

St. Petersburg, Russia

Design Architect – Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli

This light green building takes up a full block, featuring 1,945 windows, an arched entryway and ornate white columns bedecked in gold. While the statues lining the top of the building are much smaller than the statues of ancient Greece, they are every bit as detailed.

WINTER PALACE

LET THE

LIGHTIN

1,945windows

It was once the winter home for Russian czars and their families, but is now part of the State Hermitage Museum. The palace was built between 1754 and 1762 for Empress Elizabeth, and embraces Baroque architecture.

WINTER PALACE

TAJ MAHAL

Angra, India

Design Architect – Built for Shah Jahan, emperor of India

One of the most artistic and recognizable structures in the world, the Taj Mahal was designed by unknown architects. Work began in 1631 after the death of the Indian ruler ’s second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The main building was finished in 1648, with surrounding buildings completed within the next five years.

TAJ MAHAL

MYSTERYMADE

It serves as a tribute to her; a tomb, mosque and museum, featuring gardens, fountains and gateways. The arches, stone inlays and decorative calligraphy enhance Islamic domes and spires atop the structure.

TAJ MAHAL

CENTRE POMPIDOU Paris, France

Design Architect – Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano

This revolutionary art museum took Paris by storm upon its completion in 1977. While it wasn’t a favorite among locals because it appeared more like a building that had been turned inside-out, the tide has changed. It ’s now considered a modern work of art, featuring its metal pipes and support structures on the exterior.

CENTRE POMPIDOU

INSIDEOUT

The building was created in honor of former President Georges Pompidou, and houses two art galleries, a restaurant and a museum. With the innovation of early Parisian architects as inspiration, the see-through escalator tubes on the exterior still raise some eyebrows.

CENTRE POMPIDOU

POTALA PALACE Tibet, China

Design Architect – Under direction of King Songtsen Gampo

This former home of the Dalai Lama has more than 1,000 rooms. It was built by a workforce of 7,000 people for a Tibetan King to honor of his bride in the 7th century. It ’s a 13-story structure that resembles a traditional Buddhist temple. Three large figures are housed in the Red Palace, influenced by the Greek construction of temples and statues. The Red Palace in the center is used for religious study. The White Palace is used for living quarters and office space.

POTALA PALACE

MUSEU OSCAR NIEMEYER Curitiba, Brazil

Design Architect – Oscar Niemeyer

This art museum is nicknamed “The Eye” because of its familiar shape. Its 60-foot-tall yellow base adorned with a long, swerving ramp supports the bright gallery on top. Niemeyer designed many buildings in Brazil and throughout the world. This one was completed in 2002. While many claim that he inspired only himself, the simple curves in many of his buildings could be an influence of Parisian architecture.

MUSEU OSCAR NIEMEYER

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