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Superposed order (also superimposed) is one where successive storeys of a building have different
Bodleian Library 2 (5650412310).jpg, The Tower of The Five Orders at the Bodleian Library at the
Superimposed and giant orders
{{Classical orders Orders of columns Ancient Roman architectural elements Ancient Greek architecture Neoclassical architecture Design history
Superposed order (also superimposed) is one where successive storeys of a building have different orders
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
. The most famous ancient example of such an order is the Colosseum at Rome, which had no less than four storeys of superposed orders. The superposition rules were developed in ancient Greece and were also actively used in the architecture of ancient Rome. Later, the order was used in the architecture of the Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...
and Baroque.
Composition
The heaviest orders are at the bottom of a building, whilst the lightest come at the top. This rule means that theDoric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders of ancient Greek and later Roman architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian. The Doric is most easily recognized by the simple circular capitals at the top of ...
is a preferred order for the ground floor, the Ionic order
The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composi ...
is used for the middle storey, while the Corinthian or the Composite order
The Composite order is a mixed order, combining the volutes of the Ionic order capital with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order.Henig, Martin (ed.), ''A Handbook of Roman Art'', p. 50, Phaidon, 1983, In many versions the composite ord ...
is used for the top storey. The ground floor may also have rustication. Initially, the top story usually featured the Composite order, but, after Vincenzo Scamozzi published his treatise ''L'idea dell'architettura universale'' (''The Idea of a Universal Architecture'', Venice, 1615), architects switched to the Corinthian order.
The superposed order allowed storeys without columns, but rearrangement of order styles was strictly forbidden.
Gallery
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...
, completed in 1619, includes all the five Classical orders
Paris Les Invalides Dome Fassade 12.jpg, Portico of Les Invalides from Paris, an example of French Baroque architecture
Facade of the Église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais, Paris 26 September 2016.jpg, Façade of the Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais from Paris
See also
* Classical order *Concatenation
In formal language theory and computer programming, string concatenation is the operation of joining character strings end-to-end. For example, the concatenation of "snow" and "ball" is "snowball". In certain formalisations of concatenat ...
References
External links
Superimposed and giant orders
{{Classical orders Orders of columns Ancient Roman architectural elements Ancient Greek architecture Neoclassical architecture Design history