In each case, stylistic qualities match such perceived spiritual ones. Specifically, 'classical' or 'neoclassical' works use the same constructional techniques as those of the past.
Classicism is principally important in Western architecture.
Classical architecture, as it is generally understood, is characterized by the use of a specific and defined range of architectural elements, a vocabulary of readily identifiable parts. The basic unit of classical architecture is the ' Order ', a standard variety of a column, supporting an entablature, based on the model of the classical temple colonnade. The temple in Greek society was the most significant building type, and for functional and ritual reasons was characterized by proportion and careful symmetry. The model of Greek architecture provided the basis, with certain modifications, for classical Roman architecture. The principal innovation of the Roman period was the combination of the column with the rounded arch, achieving technically a greater load-bearing capacity, as well as a new aesthetic combination, which can be seen in the structure of the Coliseum at Rome.