homework encyclopedia

FIND OUT MORE. Ancient Greece 376–377 • Construction 202–203 • Design 326

SKYSCRAPERS

The term skyscraper became popular in the

USA in the 1880s to describe a new type

of tall office building in Chicago and New

York City. They rose up to 12 storeys, a

startling height at the time.

WHAT MATERIALS DO ARCHITECTS USE?

Traditional building materials are stone, wood, brick,

and concrete. However, as technology develops, so do

new materials. Steel and glass are commonly used.

Fabrics are created by coating glass-fibre with a

durable plastic such as Teflon to make a membrane

(skin) that can be attached to a steel framework.

WHAT IS THE WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDING?

Buildings could only rise as high as about

75 m (250 ft) until the invention of steel-frame

construction. In 2010 the Petronas Towers in

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - at 452 m (1,483 ft) - was

overtaken by Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab

Emirates, which stands at 828 m (2,717 ft).

WHAT DOES CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE MEAN?

The architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans,

which was based on balanced, harmonious proportions,

is known as classical architecture. It has had a huge

influence on the history of Western architecture. Some

modern architects still use elements of the classical

tradition today.

DORIC

IONIC

CORINTHIAN

CHRYSLER BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY 3

Completed in 1930, this Art Deco masterpiece was briefly the tallest

building in the world at 319 m (1,048 ft). In 1931 the nearby Empire

State Building overtook it, rising to 381 m (1,250 m).

SAPPORO DOME, HOKKAIDO 3

Built by Japan for the 2002 World

Cup, this futuristic stadium has a

translucent domed roof made

from Teflon-coated glass-fibre. Its

natural turf football pitch can be

moved inside or outside by

floating it on a cushion of air.

Volute

(spiral

scroll)

Acanthus

leaves for

decoration

1 PARTHENON (447–432 BCE), ATHENS

This temple’s Doric columns support the beams and a richly carved

triangular pediment at each end of its roof. Though now in ruins,

the Parthenon is the most famous example of classical architecture.

THE CLASSICAL ORDERS

The Ancient Greeks designed

buildings in three orders (styles).

Each had its own design rules, such

as features for columns. The shaft of

the column is topped by a capital.

Capital

is a circle

topped

by a square

Shaft is slim

and plain

Shaft is

fluted

Shaft is

fluted