The Architecture of the Library of Congress Essay

Also this building is made of marble and the Romans used marble too. The Congress building has a similar design to the Roman Pantheon. My source is source 2. In America we faced a problem about starting a government. So we went and follows how Rome did it.

It was established by an act of Congress, which approved the transfer of the seat of government from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. The library contains 33 million books, 68 million manuscripts and over 13 million photographs that visitors will find hard to pass up.

Greek and Roman architecture is truly amazing. They each had great ideas, and fabulous productions. It is said that the Pantheon is to Italy what the Parthenon is to Greece. Both are tremendous monuments that reek of culture and history. Each had a purpose which was displayed by the design and construction of each. There are such great meanings behind each of these architecural structures. The Romans and the Greeks alike worshipped and dedicated their structures and designs to the Gods and Goddess they believed in.

Greek creators used precise mathematical calculations to establish height, width, and length of their creations. The Greeks put their hard work and effort into creating majestic public buildings as a place for men to meet and discuss politics. Pictured in Document 1 is the Parthenon, “Architecture was very important to the ancient Greeks. One of the most famous examples of Greek architecture is the Parthenon...Modern architecture is often modeled after Greek architecture.” (Document 1) Greek Architecture has influenced modern day architecture in the use of columns, statues inside of buildings, detail to symmetry and geometric proportion. “If two straight lines cut one another the vertical, or opposite, angles shall be equal.” (Document 4) Today all over the United States, you see can find buildings that are modeled after the Ancient Greek architecture. Some examples are seen in capitals of states/countries, colleges/universities, government buildings, and even some houses namely The White

I was recently in Washington D.C. where I visited a number of public buildings. I immediately thought of Washington D.C. when I saw this discussion assignment. There are an abundance of buildings there designed in the classical order. However, I will focus on the U.S. Supreme Court building – which is one of the three above.

As many people know, the architects of many buildings have used a multitude of techniques and methods from ancient architecture to build newer buildings. For example, the Capitol Building uses Greek and Roman architecture in its columns, while the Washington Monument is in the style of an Egyptian Obelisk. One of the monuments, the Lincoln Memorial, is based off the styles and methods of the Architecture of the Parthenon. Because of this, there are many similarities, but also differences, between the Parthenon and the Lincoln Memorial.

Hellenistic art, let alone architecture, was a period of dramatic transformations that deterred greatly from the Greek Classical period. While the Classical Greek concepts were not entirely abandoned, the Hellenistic period expanded the formal horizons with dramatic posing, sweeping lines, and high contrast of light, shadow and emotion, something greatly different from the Classical artists ideas. The conventions and rules of the Classical period gave way to experimentation and a sense of freedom that allowed the artists of the Hellenistic period to explore their subjects from unique points of view that they had not previously done. The Altar to Zeus in Pergamon is the perfect representation of the Hellenistic period. Pergamon contained

The Parthenon has elaborate carvings along the top edge of the building. Similarly, carvings can be on the Supreme Court Building, Jefferson Memorial, and on many other U.S. government buildings (6). Though America drew inspiration from Roman buildings, Greek architectural features are more

One might imagine that this was intended for the library of the gods; and it was. The

Greece most definitely contributed to the influence on western civilization along with the other cultures at the time. Greece in itself is known as the father of many known and honored teachings and methodologies. Whether it was the architecture, math, science, or just Greece itself the classical Greek period, was home to many commonly used techniques in the modern world. Things like democracy, geometry, and even the Hippocratic oath used by doctors are all still relevant in western civilization, a grand total of 2300 years later. Greece is commonly known for the impressive architecture and buildings erected during the time of the Athenian ruler Pericles.

Many of the buildings in Ancient Greece have influenced us today because of how they were built back then. One of the buildings in Ancient Greece was the Acropolis. The Acropolis was one of the more important buildings in Ancient Greece. The Acropolis stood about 150 meters above sea level. It was seen to be a fortress to protect Ancient Greece from enemy attacks. This famous building Contributed today because you can see many buildings like it. For example, the Acropolis had many pillars surrounding it just like the Jefferson memorial. Another example is the Capitol Hill has artwork and architecture that was similar to Ancient Greece. The Buildings on Capitol Hill were inspired by the way Greek buildings were built. Like how the pillars are tall and decorative like buildings in Greece were. Also, the shape and style of the buildings are all similar to Ancient Greece's style of architecture. Buildings have made a big impact on us today about how we make our

American’s interest in ancient Greek culture develops when they sense that there’s a connection between them: “…the Greek War of Independence against Turkish domination aroused the sympathy of our citizens, who saw in the Greek struggle for freedom a parallel to our own War of Independence” (Downs 173). The parallelism is that they both have experience of battling for freedom from a controlling country. Another relation that makes the Americans appreciate the Greek culture even more is the archeological discovery showing Greece as the birthplace of democracy: “As the Greek Revival style unfolded and developed in the United States it became as indigenous to the soil of our system of law…and our democratic system of government, which was founded on the ancient ideal of individual freedom” (Downs 176). After studying and getting hold of the architectural idea and vocabulary, Greek architecture soon becomes America’s national style. The classical look of the Greek architectural are made up of three primary orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric being the oldest and simplest of the three: “The Doric order is characterized by a plain, unadorned column capital and a column that rests directly on the stylobate of the temple without a base…entablature includes a frieze composed of triglyphs and metopes. The columns are fluted and are of sturdy, if not stocky, proportions” (Becker 1). The Doric is best describe as the most understated style with a masculine appearance out of the three orders. Despite the simplest look of the Doric, it is the most popular. The Parthenon, also known as the epitome of Greek culture, is built under the Doric order. Famous works of the Doric order in the United States can be seen on the design of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C and the Justice Hall Building in New York City. Next is the Ionic: “notable for its graceful

Architecturally, societally and religiously, the Parthenon of Athens and the Pantheon of Rome share many similarities and some important differences. Fortunately, these wonders of the ancient world have survived to give us some idea of their construction and use.

It is important to look at the ancient buildings especially the Pantheon and Hagia Sophia microscopically, these will help us to find out about their similarities and differences as two ancient buildings transformed the architectural industry in Ancient Rome and Turkey. To start with, it is important to arrive at what the Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are;

Ancient Greek architecture was very intricately made and well thought out. The Greeks used different methods and reasonings behind their architecture because they made sure that their pieces were exquisitely made to represent the things they thought were important. They valued their Gods and their worship of the Gods. It was important for them to always represent or have symbolic meaning behind all of their architectural designs. There are many hidden symbols that are involved in Greek architecture like trees, trophies, leaves, hair, and sacrifices to name a few. Greek architecture includes these hidden symbols to worship Gods, and to represent culture in their pieces.