doric column

In architecture, the term order is very common, and encompasses any of the various styles of classical or neoclassical architecture. These styles are defined by the particular type of column and trim used as the basic unit of your architectural system.

At the beginning of ancient Greece, three architectural orders developed, among them the Doric, an order that has stood out in the history of architecture. Its designs were generated in the western Doric region of Greece around the 6th century BC and were used in that country until 100 BC.

Thus, the Doric column is part of one of the five orders of classical architecture. Likewise, it represents one of the most important moments in monumental construction: the transition and change in the use of materials. At the beginning, transitory materials such as wood were used. With this order the use of permanent materials such as stone was introduced.

The Doric column has a simple design. In fact, much simpler than the later Ionic and Corinthian column styles. The Doric is characterized by being a column with a simple and rounded capital at the top. The shaft is heavy and fluted, or sometimes has a smooth column, and has no base. The Doric column is also wider and heavier than the Ionic and Corinthian, so it is often associated with strength and sometimes masculinity.

Believing that the Doric column was the most weight-bearing, ancient builders used it for the lowest level of multi-story buildings. While being more slender, the Ionic and Corinthian columns were reserved for the upper levels.

Doric Column Characteristics

• As mentioned, the Greek Doric order is characterized by a slightly conical column. This is the one with the least height, if compared with those of other orders. Including the capital, it has only four to eight lower diameters.
• Doric Greek forms do not have a single base. Instead, they rest directly on the stylobate. However, in later forms of the Doric order the conventional plinth and bull base was used.
• The shaft of the Doric column, if it is fluted, presents twenty shallow grooves.
• The capital, for its part, is formed by a simple neck, an extended step, a convex and a square abacus.
• The part or section of the frieze usually stands out, since it usually consists of protruding triglyphs that alternate with folded square panels. The latter are called metopes and can be smooth or carved with sculpted reliefs.

The Roman forms of the Doric order have smaller proportions than the Greek ones, as well as a lighter appearance than the aforementioned columns of the Greek Doric order.

Buildings built with Doric columns

Since the Doric column was invented and developed in ancient Greece, it is precisely in that country that the ruins of what is known as classical architecture can be found . Many buildings in ancient Greece and Rome are Doric. In later times, a large number of buildings with Doric columns have been built. The symmetrical rows of these columns were placed with mathematical precision, in structures that were and still are emblematic.

Let’s see some examples of Doric order buildings:

• Built between 447 BC and 432 BC, the Parthenon, located on the Acropolis of Athens, has become an international symbol of Greek civilization and also an iconic example of the columnar style of the Doric order. Nearby is the Erechtheion, a temple built in honor of the Greek hero Ericthonius. The Doric columns that are still standing stand out for their elegance and beauty.
• The Selinunte temple in Sicily, built in 550 BC, has seventeen columns on the sides and an additional row located at the eastern end. This structure has an approximate height of twelve meters. Likewise, the temple of Hephaestus or Hephaestion and the temple of Poseidon are relevant examples of the Doric order. The first, built in 449 BC, had thirty-four columns, and it is believed that it took more than thirty years to build. The second, which had thirty-eight columns, of which only sixteen remain standing, was mostly made of marble.

Several architectural works of the Doric order are now ruins visited by tourists during their trips to Greece and Italy, where most of them are located. To those already mentioned we can add Paestum, an ancient city that contains three temples and that were part of Magna Graecia, the Hellenic colonies of southern Italy. The Temple of Hera is one of the oldest in Paestum. Hera, wife of Zeus, is the Greek goddess of marriage. Its good conservation and its beauty make it one of the most visited temples.

Modern creations with Doric columns

Years later, when classicism reappeared during the Renaissance, architects such as Andrea Palladio decided to create modern works evoking the architecture of ancient Greece. Among these is the Basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore, on whose front four magnificent Doric columns stand out.

Likewise, in the 19th and 20th centuries, many neoclassical buildings around the world were inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece and Rome. For example, in the United States of America, Doric columns were used to confer greatness on many buildings, such as Federal Hall in New York, located at 26 Wall Street. It was there that George Washington, the first president of the United States, was sworn in. Similarly, architect Benjamin Latrobe designed the Doric columns found in the former United States of America Supreme Court Chamber. Doric columns, forty in all, can also be found in the crypt of the Capitol building. They are smooth columns and are made of sandstone, supporting the arches that support the rotunda floor.

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