What is a stoa in architecture?
What is a stoa in architecture?
stoa, plural Stoae, in Greek architecture, a freestanding colonnade or covered walkway; also, a long open building, its roof supported by one or more rows of columns parallel to the rear wall. The Stoa of Attalus at Athens is a prime example. Stoa of Attalus.
What was stoa used for?
Open at the front with a façade of columns, a stoa provided an open, but protected, space. In addition to providing a place for the activities of civil magistrates, shopkeepers, and others, stoas often served as galleries for art and public monuments, were used for religious purposes, and delineated public space.
How was the Stoa of Attalos built?
The Stoa of Attalos was built using marble that was quarried from the Penteli mountains and limestone. Interestingly, the Stoa combined several Greek architectural styles. On the ground floor, the exterior colonnade was Doric and the interior columns were Ionic.
Where is the stoa found?
Athens
Stoa of Attalos
| The reconstructed Stoa of Attalos | |
|---|---|
| Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap | |
| Location | Agora of Athens, Greece |
What was the specific function of the Stoa a building from the Athenian Agora?
In the Athenian Agora, stoas housed magistrates, functioned as public indoor space, held dining rooms, and served as display space for art and military spoils while the uniquely shaped South Stoa in Corinth served commercial functions.
What are the three Greek architectural orders?
At the start of what is now known as the Classical period of architecture, ancient Greek architecture developed into three distinct orders: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders.
When was the first Stoa built?
The earliest of these is the East Stoa of the Athenian Asklepieion, built in the mid-fourth century BCE, where there were two superposed Doric colonnades on the façade of a two-aisled portico.
How old is the Stoa of Attalos?
The Stoa of Attalos (or Attalus), a two-floor building, is one of the most impressive buildings in the Athenian Agora. It was built by, and named after, King Attalos II of Pergamon, who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.
Who made the Stoa?
king of Pergamon Attalos II
The Stoa of Attalos is part of the Ancient Agora site in Athens, built around 150 BC by the king of Pergamon Attalos II, as a gift to the city of Athens for the education he received there.
Who built Stoa of Attalos?
King Attalos II of Pergamon
The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the philosopher Karneades.
Why is the Stoa of Attalos important?
The Stoa of Attalos served as a modern shopping center, with 21 shops along the two floors. In fact, it was the first and largest shopping center of the antiquity and became the main meeting point of the Athenians that period.
Why was the Stoa of Attalos built?
The Stoa of Attalos was originally built by King Attalos II of Pergamon (159–138 B.C.), as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the philosopher Karneades.
