Our Architectural Columns Proportional Chart

—

Columns & Widths

Each style of column has a specific architectural order, or guideline, that it must follow to be consistent with historical designs. The most famous Greek and Roman orders include the Greek Doric Order, Tuscan Order, Roman Doric Order, Ionic Order, and Corinthian Order.

Our Proportion Chart

History of Columns

In almost every culture throughout history, some variation of columns have been used. The most notable column styles come from the ancient Greeks and Romans. These two civilizations have contributed some of the most exquisite column designs in architecture. Each specific design has a unique shape, style, and dimension.

In 1562, an Italian Renaissance architect, Giacomo da Vignola, contributed to architectural history by documenting the exact proportions that each style of column should follow in order to be historically accurate and most visually appealing. Vignola’s book on classic Greek and Roman architecture was based on the works of Vitruvius, an early Roman engineer and architect, who recognized the difference in dimensions between each of the ancient columns.