Ancient Roman Architecture

Ancient Roman Architecture

Heather Pastushok

We will be discussing the following types of architecture:

Temples

Basilicae

Civic Buildings

Roman Orders

Vaulting Systems

Amphitheatres

Triumphal Arches

Aqueducts

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-Sense of direction (N/S)

-Sense of space on a definite axis

-Ritual

The Pantheon, rebuilt by Agrippa Heather Pastushok

Forum of Augustus.

-The front of the temple appears to be pushed up to one end of the square, relating to and dominating the space in front of it.

-Domination of a defined space and on a definite axis are qualities in Roman architecture. Heather Pastushok

Roman Orders

Doric Ionic Corinthian Heather Pastushok

Levels of the Colosseum corresponding to the Roman orders

Level 1:Doric

Level 2:Ionic

Level 3:Corinthian

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Corinthian Column: Details of the acanthus leaf

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A common plant of the Mediterranean, acanthus leaves adorned the capitals of the Corinthian capitals, which were the most popular of the columns in Roman architecture.

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Maison Carree; Nimes, France

-Use of Corinthian columns, sense of space and direction, small cella, post-lintel structure

-One major difference from the Pantheon is the floor plan.

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Floor plan of the Pantheon Floor plan of Maison Carree

Circular/honeycomb/tholos Basilica (based on megaron)

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The rotunda is twice as high as the porch.

The exterior is made completely of brick.

The rotunda is also known as a honeycomb structure.

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Mausoleum of Augustus

-Beehive or cylindrical structure-Excessively large; known for its size (sense of space and ritual)

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Temple of Vesta, Rome

-Circular cella

-Supported by Corinthian columns

This temple is dedicated to Vesta, the goddess of fire. The columns, in peristyle, protect an altar and fire located inside the small cella

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-Dome made of concrete and mortar

-As the dome rises near the oculus it consists mostly of volcanic material

-Such material, which the Romans had a great supply of, is called pozzolana. It is considered to be true cement

-Covered with gilded bronze

-The proportions of the rotunda and dome are based upon geometry, most like the entire building

-The diameter and height of the rotunda are the same: 43.2 meters

-The dome is 21.6 meters high, exactly half the height of the rotunda

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Interior of the Pantheon

-Floor is curved so rain water from oculus runs off to the edge

-First story contains altars, second story contains 14 blind windows and drum that supports the dome, and third story is the dome made up of coffers

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Oculus

-The only light source for the structure

-For a building dedicated to all the gods, it should only admit light from the heavens

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-Floor patterns emphasize Romans’ fascination with geometry and symmetry. The squares are finite and measurable whereas the shape are circles are infinite and immeasurable. The opposition creates a symmetry.

Floor patterns of Pantheon

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Coffer Method

-Series of indented squares (five rows of 28 coffers each)

-Squares become smaller towards the top of the dome for proper support

-Each square would have been painted blue with a star in the center of each

-Creates optical illusion that dome is wider than it actually is

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Roman Vaulting Systems

A: Barrel VaultB: Cross/Groin VaultC: Pavilion VaultD: Sail VaultE: Domical VaultF: Umbrella Dome

The barrel vault, cross vault, and domical structure (A,C, E) are the most prominent vaultings in Roman architecture

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Basilica Nova of Maxentius, Rome

-This structure utilizes the barrel vault.-At the other side of the vault the structure uses the round arch.

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-The bottom story is composed of six arches, and its piers are supported by buttresses. The second story consists of ten arches, and the third story carries the actual conduit with thirty-five arches.-For an efficient water supply to Rome the bridge was built to follow gravity and slopes down at a slight 0.025 meters/kilometer.

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Pont du Gard; Nimes, France

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Arches, especially the arches constructed in the Pont du Gard, were built around wooden frames. The frames were removed upon completion.

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-An arch was constructed from each end up to the top until the center piece, known as the keystone, was ready to be placed.

-The keystone exerted a force on the adjacent stones so that this one stone at the top held the entire arch together. Thus, it is the key to the structure.

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CANQ? Characteristics of a triumphal arch

1. Combined columns

2. Arcuated system

3. Nike figures

4. Quadriga

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Triumphal Arch of Titus

-Combined columns

-Arches

-Nike figures

-Quardriga

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Triumphal Arch of Constantine, Rome Heather Pastushok

-Although the Colosseum is a triumph, it is not triumphal.

-With the idea of an arch being a new Roman technology in architecture, this mammoth structure is a great achievement.

-It was the first large, permanent amphitheatre in Rome.

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-The parts of the Colosseum were made out of different materials such as travertine, tufa, and concrete.

-The travertine held together the façade.

-The inside walls are made of tufa blocks.

-Concrete was laid above the arches and mainly used in the platform.

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Materials used to construct the Colosseum

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Floor plan of a Roman house

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Conclusion!

Position of each structure with respect to adjacent structures emphasizes the importance of direction, space, and ritual

Geometrical shapes are present in the construction and décor of each building

There are three orders of columns, but Corinthian is the most prominent in Ancient Rome

The majority of the Roman population lived in insulae, which were located in the city, poorly built, yet a comfortable living space

The most popular vaults, the barrel, cross, and domical vaults, all come from the idea of the round arch

Arches were not sturdy because of mortar, but because of the keystone

Triumphal arches had a different purpose depending on who they were built for, but all arches maintained CANQ.

Two major floor plans in Roman architecture are the basilica and circular plan

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Bibliography

Allsopp, Bruce. A History of Classical Architecture. London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd., 1965.

Boethius, Axel, and J.B. Ward-Perkins. Etruscan and Roman Architecture. Baltimore: Penguin Books Inc., 1970.

Brown, Frank E. Roman Architecture. New York: George Braziller Inc., 1961.

Kahler, Heinz. The Art of Rome and Her Empire. New York: Greystone Press, 1963.

Lanciani, Senatore R. Ancient and Modern Rome. New York: Cooper Square Publishers Inc., 1963.

MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire. London: Yale University Press, 1982.

MacDonald, William L. The Pantheon. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1976.Sear, Frank. Roman Architecture. New York: Cornell University Press, 1983.

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Finis Heather Pastushok