Greek Architectural Orders

• Greek architectural orders are broken up into three distinct schools: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Each style contains an entire set of rules that dictates the construction of any given building. Doric, the simplest of these styles was the earliest architectural order, followed by the refined sensibilities of the Ionic order in the end of the fifth century B.C. The Corinthian order was the latest and most ornate; its earliest surviving example dates back to 420 B.C.
  
  

Aesthetics

• Doric columns are the simplest of the three Greek columns. They are shorter and wider than both Corinthian and Ionic columns, and Doric columns typically do not have a base. The shaft, which is the main body of the column, is not fluted; it is 20-sided to give it dimension. The capital, or top piece, of a Doric column is a flat square on top of a ring. Ionic columns are not only taller and more slender, but they also have a base of stacked circles. The capital (or pilaster) is carved at the front and back to resemble two scrolls, and the shaft is a fluted cylinder. Corinthian columns keep the height, width and fluting of Ionic columns, but add a heavily-carved capital of acanthus leaves, scrolls and flourishes.
  
  

Location

• The predominant order of architecture varied by location. Doric columns and architecture was prevalent in central mainland Greece and what is now Italy. The Greek Isles and territories in Asia were popular sites for Ionic order architecture. Corinthian columns were a later development, and were not seen until sections of Greece began to fall under Roman rule.
  
  

Famous Examples

• Two iconic structures feature Doric columns. Both the Parthenon in Athens, Greece and Lord Hill's Column in Shrewsbury, England feature Doric columns and classic Doric architecture. Ionic columns support the Temple of Athena in Athens, as well as the White House in Washington D.C. The Temple of Zeus in Athens features Corinthian columns, as does the famed New York City Public Library.