Classical Column & Ornamentation

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“Discuss the classical column, its origins, and its continued application over 2500 years. Speculate on this longevity.” - Professor Peter Corrigan It has evident that the use of columns for building temples or fanes had had become quite common application in ancient times. In creating a perfect order that satisfied the beauty of the temple, they started to look upon the human body that was thought to be the finest creation of God. The Roman architect Vitruvius on whom we depend for almost all we know of ancient architectural theory mentioned, the fluted or striated cylindrical column shafts tapering slightly toward the top are derived from tree trunks; but he also says that two principal column types are related to humans, which explains their proportions and ornaments. It is the intention of this essay to discuss whether or how the classical columns influenced and invested in the architecture of Australia and use of its ornamentation invented in ancient Western world. The Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, London is a good example that shows the use of post and lintel system in architecture. This is the basic ancient building system where posts had been used to support the lintels. It seems that Greeks have used the same method but in a more sophisticated manner. They developed have used featured pillars with various kinds of architectural decorations which is commonly replicated today as classical orders. They introduced three main types of classical orders called Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The Romans later adapted the Greek orders and developed two more classical orders called Tuscan and Composite. In Australia, it can be seen that there are more than one dominant classical styles of architecture. These styles are replicas of ancient inventions and would have been adapted to suit the local conditions and the materials by slightly
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