Ancient Greek Architecture vs Greek Revival

Greek Revival was influenced by Ancient Greek Architecture — directly models its temple fronts and orders on surviving ancient Greek temples.

Parthenon (west front), Acropolis, Athens — Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek Architecture

The refined temple architecture that gave the West its classical orders — Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns, pediments, and a near-mathematical pursuit of proportion.

  • The classical orders: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian
  • Peripteral plan — a colonnade wrapping the temple
  • Triangular pediment with sculptural relief
  • Post-and-lintel stone construction (columns and entablature)
  • Optical refinements: entasis, inward lean, curved stylobate
Full Ancient Greek Architecture guide →
Second Bank of the United States, Philadelphia — Greek Revival

Greek Revival

An early-19th-century revival that modeled banks, capitols, and houses on the temples of ancient Greece — bold columned porticoes and pediments expressing democratic and civic ideals.

  • Temple-front portico with full pediment
  • Greek Doric, Ionic, or Corinthian columns reproduced archaeologically
  • Severe, planar wall surfaces emphasizing the orders
  • White stone, stucco, or painted finish evoking marble
  • Symmetrical, rectilinear massing with bold entablature
Full Greek Revival guide →

At a glance

Ancient Greek ArchitectureGreek Revival
Erac. 700 BCE–100 BCE1800–1860
DisciplineArchitectureArchitecture
RegionGreece, MediterraneanUnited States, United Kingdom, Germany, Greece
FamilyAncient, ClassicalRevival, Classical
Formal traitscolumnar, symmetrical, post-and-lintel, refinedtemple-front, columned, pedimented, planar

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