Greek and Japanese Architecture

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Greek and Japanese Architecture

For a great many years, architecture has been a breaking point for different artisticeras in history. Some of the most famous “works of art” have been chapels, temples, and tombs. Among the most dominant and influential eras of great architecture are the sophisticated, stoic Greeco-Roman periods and the more mystical, elemental Japanese eras. These two very distinct and very different eras have more in common than you may realize.

When work began on the Parthenon in 447 BC, the Athenian Empire was at the

height of its power. Work on the temple continued until 432; the Parthenon, then,

represents the tangible and visible blossoming of Athenian imperial power, impaired by the damages of the Peloponnesian War. Likewise, it symbolizes the power and influence of the Athenian politician, Perkiness, who championed its construction (Stokstad).

Using a great number of different means of architectural development, i.e. groin

vaults, barrel vaults, pedestals and the like, the Greeks dramatized their buildings and filled them with magnificent images. Using the great artistry of the times, they sculpted, painted and decorated the monuments with great fervor and passion, all for the love of design, composition, and dynamic proportions. The graceful, smooth lines and elegant “sculpture of the round,” are reminiscent of another era of excellent architecture, the Japanese era.

From the beginning of this century, Japanese architecture has...

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