ARCHITECTURE HISTORY

what is Stepped Pyramid and Mortuary Precinct of Djoser?

EXAM I STUDY GUIDE 

Monuments – Green

Terms – Blue

Important Words to help you Remember – Red ***I Recommend you print this out and fold it for easy studying! Good Luck!!!

Title: Stepped

Pyramid and

Mortuary Precinct of Djoser

Location: Saqqara 

Architect: Imhotep 

- Idea of preserving body and memories

- Physically goes  

upwards

- Intentionally built for  

deceased

- Gives illusion of  

what is Pyramid of Khufu?

architecture and  

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Title: Pyramid of Khufu

Title: Pyramid of Khafre

Title: Pyramid of Menkaure

Location: Gizeh 

- Made for deceased  kings to honor them  

and their importance

- Shape emphasizes  

idea of becoming  

closer to being a sun

god

- Low light  

significance to  

launch an afterlife  

belief

what is Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut?

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Title: Funerary

Temple of

Hatshepsut

Location: Deir el-Bahri, Egypt - Hatshepsut – One of  

the first women  

pharaohs

- Temple meant for  

representation (She  

wasn’t buried there)

- Built to create and  

preserve herself

- Columns represent  

bodies and strength

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Title: Temple of Hera I or the so-called Basilica

Location: Paestum (Italy)—the  ancient name of the city is  Poseidonia 

- Earliest temple at  

Paestum

- Town Hall

- Hera was the patron  

goddess of the city –  

dedicated to her

- Greek style

- Illusion made the  

columns appear  

vertical

Title: Parthenon

Location: Athens  

Architects: Iktinos and  Kallikrates 

- Swelling of columns  – thicker in middle,  

thinner at top

- Building was burned  by Persians

- Dedicated to Athena - Doric order temple

Title: Propylaia,

Gateway to the

Acropolis

Location: Athens 

Architect: Mnesikles 

- Gives a  We also discuss several other topics like financial management final exam

regularization to a  

non-regular space

- Monumental  

entrance to the  

Acropolis Rock  

- Stopped construction possibly to save  

materials for war

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Title:

Erectheion

Location: Acropolis 

- Caryatids

- Porch of the  

Maidens/Erechthion

- Irregular shape and  

layout

- Built to replace “Old  

Temple”  

- Built to house all  

shrines and rituals that

once took place there

Title: Temple of Apollo

Location: Didyma (Turkey) - Dedicated to god  

Apollo  

- The town’s most  

important religious  

building  

- Statues and other  

offerings to the god  

were kept here

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Title: Sanctuary of Fortuna

Primigenia

Location: Palestrina  

(ancient city name is  

Praeneste) 

- Dedicated to the  

goddess Fortuna

- Most likely built by  townspeople who  

wanted to establish  

themselves

Title: Pyramid of Gaius Cestius

Location: Rome 

- Official of public  

banquets

- According to his  

will, it was  

completed in 330  

days

- Executed by his  

heirs

- All facts based on  

findings

Title: Forum

Location: Pompeii, Italy  ­ Economic,  

religious, political  

Pompeii center

­ Law courts

­ Columns used for  support system  

­ Most important  

civic building

Title: Samnite

House

Location: Herculaneum,  Italy  

­ At time of eruption,  about 300 years old

­ Atrium has a gallery  on the walls

­ Very decorated  

building

­ One of the oldest  

Herculaneum  

buildings

­ Three-sided Peristyle

Title: Temple of Portunus (or of Fortuna Virilis)

Location: Rome 

­ Dedicated to  

Portunus, a youthful  

god associate with  

water crossings and  

seaports

­ Temple has iconic  

Greek columns

­ Originally made to  

imitate Greek Marble

­ Frieze decorated

Title: Pont-du-Gard or the Roman

Aqueduct

Location: Nîmes, France - Aqueduct

- “Bridge of the Gard” - Ancient Roman  

engineering  

constructed about  

19 BC

- 155ft High

- Built without mortar

Title: Maison Carrée

Location: Nimes, France ­ Only ancient temple to be completely  

preserved

­ Introduced by  

Augustus

­ Limestone

­ “Square House”

­ Carved and  

decorated  

Corinthian columns

Title: Forum of Augustus

Location: Rome 

­ Second of  

imperial forums

­ Built to rival that  of Julius

­ Provide  

additional space  

for law courts

Title: Altar of

Augustan Peace (Ara Pacis

Augustae)

Location: Rome 

- Built to celebrate the return of Augustus in

13 BCE

- Marble Roman  

structure  

- Senators, officials,  

and Imperial family  

are depicted on the  

wall

Title:

Colosseum or the Flavian

Amphitheater

Location: Rome 

- Built by Vespasian

- Inaugurated under  

Titus

- Doric Order – Tuscan  Column

- Ionic Order –  

Corinthian Capital

- Pilaster

Title: Column of

Trajan

Location: Rome 

Architect: Apollodorus of  

Damascus 

- Made of 20 blocks

- Purpose was to  

perfectly/symmetrically

create a stair helix  

leading to the top

- Trajan got the right to  be buried within the  

city

- Citizens were buried  

outside of the city

Title: Basilica Ulpia in the Forum of

Trajan

Location: Rome 

Architect: Apollodorus of  Damascus 

- Timber roof

- Usually flanked by  

isles

- Creates an important public space for  

public  

announcements

- Very traditional  

layout in Roman  

world

Title: Domus Aurea or Nero’s Golden House, specifically the

Octagonal Room

Location: Rome 

Architect: Severus and Celer 

­ Nero forced to commit  

suicide

­ He found ways to use  

materials that were fire

resistant

­ Augustus wanted to build  a marble city, but it turns  

to powder when burned

­ They used bricks and  

concrete in innovative  

ways

Title: Maritime

Theater or Island Retreat at

Hadrian’s Villa

Location: Tivoli, Italy - Private space  

due to arch/door  

- Water circulates  around middle  

part  

- In “Accademia”  

idea of  

replicating the  

heavens

Title: Canopus

and Serapeum at Hadrian’s Villa,

Location: Tivoli, Italy 

- Caryatids lining the  Canopus

- Serapeum was  

dedicated to the king

- Public space for  

dining area

- Small waterfalls in  

each room off of  

circulation room

Title:

Pantheon

Location: Rome 

- Oculus in center

- Steps counteract  

forces, allowing  

weight to be  

supported

- Conventional  

Exterior Façade

- Dome isn’t visible  

from front

Title: Arch of

Constantine

Location: Rome 

- Triumph over  

Maxentius in 312

- Religious relationships  – Walking into a  

symbolic figure

- Round sections were  

made around time of  

Hadrian

- Column carvings made  around Trajan time

Title: Rock-cut Temple

Location:  

Mahamallapuram, India - Method of carving  from solid natural  

rock

- Purpose is for  

religious reasons

- Creating religious  and sacred spaces

Title: Cave

Temple

Location: Udayagiri, India - The caves have  

long been  

regarded as places

of sanctity  

- Area of sacredness - Allowing no natural light

- Very small and  

dark

Title: Kandariya Temple

Location: Khajuraho, India 

- Hindu temple

- One of the largest and  

tallest of surviving  

temples in its area

- Dedicated to Shiva, who is represented by linga in  

the main shrine known as  

the womb chamber

- Association between  

water and temple site –  

part of Hindu worship

Title: Angkor Wat

Location: Angkor, Cambodia 

- About 30 years to build

- Built by King Suryavarman II 

- Dedicated to Vishno (Hindu)

- Largest monument of Angkor 

group

- Became a Buddhist monument  later on 

- Represents the world and center  of universe – Mythical mountain 

Meru

Terms 

- Aqueduct

o an aqueduct is an above-ground conduit for water, constructed in the  Roman world using masonry arches resembling a bridge

- Basilica  

o a Roman court building that has a rectangular ground plan, usually  characterized by a tall, longitudinal hall on the interior and typically  flanked by aisles

- Capital  

o the topmost part of a column  

- Clerestory

o a clerestory is the uppermost portion of a wall or building that is  pierced by window openings so as to let in light

- Corinthian capitals  

o located on columns belonging to a Classical order of architecture, can  be recognized due to including acanthus leaves sculpted amid small  scrolls as their decorative features

- Cornice

o the uppermost, projecting section of an entablature that also serves as  the crowning element of a wall

- Doric Order  

o The order of architecture with a system coordinated columns with an  entablature where the fluted columns are not supported by bases, the  capital consists of a simple cushion-like molding with an abacus on top, and the entablature features a plain architrave supporting a frieze  composed of triglyphs alternating with metopes and capped by a  cornice

- Entablature

o The upper, horizontal part of a Classical order supported by columns  comprising architrave, frieze, and cornice

- Frieze

o A horizontal band, sometimes decorated with sculptural reliefs, running along the upper portion of a wall or just beneath a cornice or it may be  that part of a Classical entablature that lies between the architrave and the cornice

Our professor has given an outline of what we’re going to have to do for the exam! I’ve included the format of the  exam below for your convenience 

Format of the exam

Please be prepared for the following items to appear on the exam:

∙ Identification and significance—Identify by title, and location (possibly, the architect) and discuss the architectural significance or meaningful  contribution to history of the building; write in complete sentences.

∙ Compare or contrast—Compare two buildings (or establish a point of  contrast) by writing an integrated paragraph that establishes a clear  theme emerging from the comparison. In this context, the “comparison”  analysis emphasizes a theme might emerge from similarities or  differences between the two buildings. Please be sure to integrate your  discussion of the two buildings into a single paragraph. Do not discuss  each work separately; please do write in complete sentences.

∙ Long essay (at least four paragraphs)—The long essay asks you to  consider a theme drawn from the assigned readings and class discussions  with a focus on the theoretical concepts. An exemplary essay must  include both an introduction and a conclusion that number among the four paragraphs (at least). In other words, you will be evaluated on the ability  to formulate fully developed paragraphs that contribute to a unified essay  in which you communicate your points persuasively.

∙ Terminology—There will be short answer items or fill-in-the-blank  questions on the terms.

∙ You do not need to know the dates – though sometimes they are listed  below.

Essay Question

One essay question will appear on the exam selected from the two options I am  providing below. The essay question will ask you to analyze the assigned texts  discussed during class meetings. It will be extremely helpful in each essay to  mention the authors of the specific texts we have studied by referring to the  authors and the specific points they raise in their texts and, when possible, to refer  to specific buildings by their titles.

1. Develop an argument or a plausible scenario that explains why Pliny and  Vitruvius were so concerned that architectural projects should integrate  comfort, harmonic principles, proportional relationships, site selection, and  solar orientation? Develop an essay arguing for a central point or theme that  explains why both Pliny and Vitruvius united discussions of feeling at ease  inside carefully designed structures and their concerns for climate or  environmental conditions. Draw upon the issues raised by both authors in  your essay.

2. Develop an argument about why the experiences of moving through a site  influenced the planning of significant Greek and Roman spaces. Make the  case that there were purposeful itineraries requesting that visitors walk or  progress along designed sequences by drawing upon at least two of the  

following authors: Petrarch’s description of the Acropolis; Pliny’s letters about  his two villas; and Elizabeth Marlowe’s essay on the Colosseum valley. How  did the two authors you have chosen argue that newly designed interventions forged significant responses to preexisting features of the sites?