Editing Doric order (section)

====Spacing the triglyphs====
The spacing of the triglyphs caused problems which took some time to resolve. A triglyph is centered above every column, with another (or sometimes two) between columns, though the Greeks felt that the corner triglyph should form the corner of the entablature, creating an inharmonious mismatch with the supporting column.

The architecture followed rules of harmony. Since the original design probably came from wooden temples and the triglyphs were real heads of wooden beams, every column had to bear a beam which lay across the centre of the column. Triglyphs were arranged regularly; the last triglyph was centred upon the last column (''illustration, right: '''I.'''''). This was regarded as the ideal solution which had to be reached.

Changing to stone cubes instead of wooden beams required full support of the [[architrave]] load at the last column. At the first temples the final triglyph was moved (''illustration, right: '''II.'''''), still terminating the sequence, but leaving a gap disturbing the regular order. Even worse, the last triglyph was not centered with the corresponding column. That "archaic" manner was not regarded as a harmonious design. The resulting problem is called  '''the doric corner conflict'''. Another approach was to apply a broader corner triglyph&nbsp;('''''III.''''') but was not really satisfying.

Because the metopes are somewhat flexible in their proportions, the modular space between columns ("intercolumniation") can be adjusted by the architect. Often the last two columns were set slightly closer together (''corner contraction''), to give a subtle visual strengthening to the corners. That is called the "classic" solution of the corner conflict&nbsp;('''''IV.'''''). Triglyphs could be arranged in a harmonic manner again, and the corner was terminated with a triglyph, though the final triglyph and column were often not centered. Roman aesthetics did not demand that a triglyph form the corner, and filled it with a half (''demi''-) metope, allowing triglyphs centered over columns  (''illustration, right, '''V.''''').