Frieze in architecture is a great opportunity to diversify the appearance of the building

We used to decorate the walls of our houses with wallpaper and baguettes. But besides this, your interior can be diversified and using many other ways. In this article, let's talk about what a frieze is in architecture. A photo with examples of various ways to use it, information about what and how it is made will be present in the text. Allow yourself to decorate your house friezes can people with different income, because they come in different shapes and sizes, are made not only from expensive, but also from the cheapest materials. They are not necessarily used, placing around the perimeter of the structure. It is enough to frame the most important part, such as the facade.

What is a frieze

The frieze in architecture is a broad central part of the entablature, it can be an ionic or Doric order or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even if there are no columns or pilasters, the frieze is located on the architrave (which is the lower part of the entablature), and is crowned with a cornice. Freese is used in the architecture of ancient Greek temples, palaces, the most famous and skillful of them is the Parthenon, one can cite the ancient octagonal tower of winds in Athens.

Also, the frieze is found in the architectural style of classicism. Let's take as an example the city of St. Petersburg, where there is often a frieze in architecture. This is the Kazan Cathedral, the Winter Palace, the Tauride Palace and so on.

From what material are friezes made

There are a lot of materials for their creation. Some can allow to decorate friezes of their palaces with gold leaf, cut them out of wood, ivory or various rocks, PVC, cast from plaster, plaster, and also from high quality steel.

You can often find gypsum friezes, as they are easier to manufacture and less expensive. Take the finished silicone mold, then pour out the liquid gypsum. After drying it can decorate rooms rooms. But, as is known, it is not permissible for gypsum to be kept at a high humidity of air, since it will begin to break down. So they do not decorate the facades of buildings, only the premises.

Where to use friezes

In the simple sense of the word, a frieze in architecture is a strip decorated with ornaments or reliefs. Usually they are decorated with the upper part of the building, in the rooms - ceilings and walls. They decorate buildings and not only facades. The strip of frieze can frame the entire perimeter of the building. It can be located on temples, palaces, towers and even bridges, depending on which architect had an idea. And I wonder what an arched frieze is in architecture. We are accustomed to hear that it happens on buildings. But where exactly? Just it is located above anything that can resemble or be an arch - above the window, the front door (usually it has a side door that can not do without a frieze), a balcony and, finally, above the arch. An example is the arch of the General Staff in the palace square.

The interior is also decorated with freesias. For example, it is placed under the ceiling or above the door. The same principle - a narrow or wide strip, filled with reliefs with various subjects or simple patterns. Used and imitation frieze - the usual flat or convex sticker.

In what facilities are found friezes

Meson Carre in Nîmes (16 BC). In this photo you can see that here the frieze in architecture is a strip, located along the perimeter of the temple on top of the capitals of the columns.

As a rule, Greek and Roman temples had either a frieze, or alternating triglyphs and metopes instead of it, but sometimes other details can be present in the temple architecture, as in the Parthenon.

In India, for example, there are friezes on the sun temple in Konarak. These friezes are not necessarily above the columns, they can be used in different places of the temple.

In Russia, a striking example of the use of friezes is the Kazan Cathedral, located in St. Petersburg. They crown the columns of the temple, but they do not differ in intricate forms.

What happens on the frieze

During construction, depending on the budget, 3D sculptures or reliefs of various sizes can be located on the friezes. Popular images - stories from ancient Greek myths, biblical characters or events. Greek deities such as Aphrodite, Cupid and Psyche, Apollo, beautiful nymphs and others can be placed.

What is depicted on the frieze depends on the purpose of the building. The library will correspond to the frieze with the goddess of wisdom Minerva, at the Academy of Arts or the theater, Apollo with her muses will probably be depicted, on the courthouse - the goddess of justice Themis, at the registry office - small cupids. That's what an arched frieze is. In the architecture of the temple it is usually difficult and with lots of details. But what kind of budget was built into the construction, so can make a frieze. Ordinary ornaments that do not have a specific meaning are also used, and are used only as decor.