CSA Propylaea Project: Home Page

Welcome to the home page of the CSA Propylaea Project. The project, which began as an idea in 1999, was intended to create a unified digital (i.e., computer-based) resource concerning the Propylaea, the magnificent entrance structure that has guarded the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens since shortly after the middle of the fifth century B.C.E. Designed by the architect Mnesicles, the Propylaea stands today as a glorious testimony to the creativity of the architect and to the soaring power and majesty of the ancient Greek architectural vocabulary when put to use by a master such as Mnesicles.

postcard from Athens

A Postcard from Athens ¹

The CSA Propylaea Project was first conceived by the Director of the Center for the Study of Architecture (CSA), Harrison Eiteljorg, II. It was fully defined by Mr. Eiteljorg; Tasos Tanoulas, the archaeologist/architect in charge of repair and reconstruction work on the Propylaea; and Maria Ioannidou, the structural engineer who has worked on the Propylaea and is now the Director of the Acropolis Restoration Service. The aim of the project was to put into computer (digital) form existing information about the structure in the forms of drawings and photographs, to build a computer-aided design model of it, and to create a single, integrated resource consisting of model and related information, including text materials and photographs. For scholars and others who wish to examine the project in detail, the recommended starting page is the Project Introduction; for those who have a more general interest in this topic, the better starting point is the Project Background and Rationale.

Text of note 1. This postcard was probably sent late in the nineteenth century, apparently to Mademoiselle L. Rubigny in Paris, and ultimately found in an Athens flea market in 2001. The Propylaea is shown after the demolition of the Frankish Tower but before twentieth-century restorations. Note the value of the stamp, .01 drachmas. Our thanks to Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos for finding the postcard and giving it to CSA. (Note: CSA asserts a copyright on this image while pointing out that the original postcard was doubtless covered by its own copyright. It is the image as a whole here; complete with stamp, postmark, and written message; for which CSA asserts a copyright.) Return to text.

Note the color differences between the top photo and the lower one. This reflects the color of the sunlight at the west end of the Acropolis, with the morning light being cool and the afternoon light warm, growing steadily warmer toward sunset.

About this document:

Title: CSA Propylaea Project: Home Page
Author: Harrison Eiteljorg, II and the staff of CSA, Box 60, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, (e-mail: user nicke at (@) the domain csanet.org; tel.: 484-612-5862)
File name: index.html
Revision history: This web page was first posted in September, 2011. It replaced a previous (much longer) home page that may be found at http://propylaea.org/des1pages/index.html and that included most of the information on the new Project Introduction page. Modifications are to be expected but will not be noted unless they are deemed significant.
Internet access: This document is maintained at propylaea.csanet.org by the Center for the Study of Architecture and Harrison Eiteljorg, II. Note that there may be changes in computer addresses that are beyond the control of CSA.
Long-term availability: This document or its successors will be maintained for electronic access indefinitely. Prior versions will not be archived.
Citation permissions and copyright information: This document is copyrighted by CSA. Citations should include the date of the document cited.




	The Project: •Home Page Αρχική Σελίδα •Background & Rationale Φόντο •Project Introduction Εισαγωγή •History •Publications & Lectures •Grant Application The Building: •General Information •Photographs Φωτογραφίες Photo Database Managing photos CAD Issues & Data: •CAD discussion •Coordinates & Grids •Mechanical Drawings •CAD Models Survey Issues & data: •Survey Discussion •Survey Notebooks •Survey Database On-going investigation of Architectural planning in antiquity •Web pages: Introduction General planning Propylaea matters Discussion •Equivalent Blog Copyright Statement Older Propylon Archives About this document. Search this site.		CSA Propylaea Project: Home Page Welcome to the home page of the CSA Propylaea Project. The project, which began as an idea in 1999, was intended to create a unified digital (i.e., computer-based) resource concerning the Propylaea, the magnificent entrance structure that has guarded the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens since shortly after the middle of the fifth century B.C.E. Designed by the architect Mnesicles, the Propylaea stands today as a glorious testimony to the creativity of the architect and to the soaring power and majesty of the ancient Greek architectural vocabulary when put to use by a master such as Mnesicles. A Postcard from Athens ¹ The CSA Propylaea Project was first conceived by the Director of the Center for the Study of Architecture (CSA), Harrison Eiteljorg, II. It was fully defined by Mr. Eiteljorg; Tasos Tanoulas, the archaeologist/architect in charge of repair and reconstruction work on the Propylaea; and Maria Ioannidou, the structural engineer who has worked on the Propylaea and is now the Director of the Acropolis Restoration Service. The aim of the project was to put into computer (digital) form existing information about the structure in the forms of drawings and photographs, to build a computer-aided design model of it, and to create a single, integrated resource consisting of model and related information, including text materials and photographs. For scholars and others who wish to examine the project in detail, the recommended starting page is the Project Introduction; for those who have a more general interest in this topic, the better starting point is the Project Background and Rationale. Text of note 1. This postcard was probably sent late in the nineteenth century, apparently to Mademoiselle L. Rubigny in Paris, and ultimately found in an Athens flea market in 2001. The Propylaea is shown after the demolition of the Frankish Tower but before twentieth-century restorations. Note the value of the stamp, .01 drachmas. Our thanks to Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos for finding the postcard and giving it to CSA. (Note: CSA asserts a copyright on this image while pointing out that the original postcard was doubtless covered by its own copyright. It is the image as a whole here; complete with stamp, postmark, and written message; for which CSA asserts a copyright.) Return to text.

	Note the color differences between the top photo and the lower one. This reflects the color of the sunlight at the west end of the Acropolis, with the morning light being cool and the afternoon light warm, growing steadily warmer toward sunset.		About this document: Title: CSA Propylaea Project: Home Page Author: Harrison Eiteljorg, II and the staff of CSA, Box 60, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, (e-mail: user nicke at (@) the domain csanet.org; tel.: 484-612-5862) File name: index.html Revision history: This web page was first posted in September, 2011. It replaced a previous (much longer) home page that may be found at http://propylaea.org/des1pages/index.html and that included most of the information on the new Project Introduction page. Modifications are to be expected but will not be noted unless they are deemed significant. Internet access: This document is maintained at propylaea.csanet.org by the Center for the Study of Architecture and Harrison Eiteljorg, II. Note that there may be changes in computer addresses that are beyond the control of CSA. Long-term availability: This document or its successors will be maintained for electronic access indefinitely. Prior versions will not be archived. Citation permissions and copyright information: This document is copyrighted by CSA. Citations should include the date of the document cited.