ONION DOMES

onion dome–noun Architecture. • a bulbous, domelike roof ending in a sharp point,

characteristically used in Russian Orthodox church architecture to cover cupolas or towers.

• An onion dome is the predominant form for church domes in Russia , mostly on Russian Orthodox churches and Bavaria, Germany (mostly on catholic churches), but can also be found regularly across Austria, Eastern Europe, India, the Middle East and Central Asia.

• According to one theory, onion domes were strictly utilitarian, as they prevented snow from piling on the roof.[2]

YOUTUBE GREAT GATE OF KIEVhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlFnahc_OVs&feature=related

ST. BASIL’S IN MOSCOW

St. Basil’s Cathedral, seen from the ‘other’ side

The cathedral was commissioned by Tsar Ivan IV to commemorate the capture of the Khanate of Kazan, and built from 1555 to 1561.

Green domes of the Fyodorovskaya Church in Yaroslavl (1687)—the height of the main drum and dome exceeds the height of the main cube of the church

Onion domes of the Resurrection Church, Kostroma (1652)

Taj Mahal

The Alexander Nevsky cathedral's black onion domes

Peeling Back the Onion DomesObjective • Understand how the architecture of a people records their history • Understand how artistic elements—line, shape, color, and texture—are

incorporated into architectural designs • Explore and use geometric concepts of shape, pattern, and symmetry • Apply measurement concepts • View architectural structures with increased sensitivity to detail

Materials• Construction paper 12x18 (black, purple or navy blue)• Metallic crayons, colored pencils, metallic permanent markets and oil

pastels (blenders)• 4x6 index cards (or ½ sheet 8.5x11 cardstock • Rulers• Scissors

Peeling Back the Onion DomesProcedure1. Review the term “architecture” (the art of designing and

building structures that are usually lived in or used by people. It is one of the oldest art forms in history and it is always changing.)

2. Explain that students will be drawing a structure based on the style of Russian architecture: Onion domes.

3. Show the PowerPoint. 4. Students may use the landscape or portrait direction of

their paper.

Peeling Back the Onion DomesProcedure

5. Fold your index card in half. Open back up. Draw ½ of the onion shape on one side of the fold. Fold in half again and cut along drawn line. Open up and you will have an onion dome pattern.

6. Trace the onion dome near the bottom of your construction paper. (Be sure you trace the bottom of the dome.

7. Go back to your pattern. Fold in half again and trim about a third of an inch from your shape. Trace onto your colored paper above the first tracing. Overlapping the shapes will create even more depth and perspective.

Peeling Back the Onion DomesProcedure8. Re-do step three until you have five graduated onion

domes traced on your colored paper. The domes should create perspective by overlapping and being placed higher on the page from the previous tracing. (They will also obviously get smaller to create perspective).

9. Use the pictured onion domes in the slideshow as inspiration to create your towers, roofs and buildings under your traced domes. Create windows, arches and other architectural details on your drawing.

10.Finish with metallic media, creating patterns on your domes, roofs and buildings.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/faceofrussia/reference/lesson2.html#bkgd

Background Information for the Teacher: Introduction Architecture is the art of designing and building structures that are usually lived in or used by people. It is one of the oldest art forms in history and it is always changing. Through architecture, we can see how people before us lived and worked. Unlike some of the fine arts such as painting, sculpture, and hand crafted arts, architecture is everywhere and it is designed to be used, enjoyed, and touched.

Cathedral of St. Basil This magnificent cathedral located in Moscow, the capital of Russia, was designed by Barma and Postnik and built for Czar Ivan IV (the Terrible). Construction began in 1554 and ended in 1560. This church demonstrates the Byzantine elements of tent roofs and onion shaped domes on drums.

This ancient structure is located in Red Square, next to the Kremlin, a large fortress built in the 12th century, which contains government buildings, churches, and a museum.

It was built as a memorial to eight saints on whose special name days the Russians won battles over the Tartars—invaders from the East. The central church building has a tent shape with eight interconnecting small chapels each dedicated to one of the saints. The architects added four more chapels.

High atop the chapels there are towering domes on drums. The domes are covered with onion shaped shells to protect them from snow and ice. These ornamental fluted and twisted domes are hand painted in bright stripes that contrast with the dark red orange of the brick exterior.

SAMPLE

RUBRIC

RUBRIC 4 3 2 1 Score

Drawing Drawing is expressive and detailed. Shapes, patterns, shading and/or texture are used to add interest to the drawing. Student has great control and is able to experiment a little.

Drawing is expressive and somewhat detailed. Some use has been made of pattern, shading, or texture. Student has basics, but has not "stretched”.

Drawing has few details. It has very little pattern, shading or texture. Student needs to improve effort.

The drawing lacks any detail.

 

Creativity Student has taken the technique being studied and applied it in a way that is totally his/her own. The student's personality/voice comes through.

Student has taken the technique being studied and applied it so the student's personality comes through in parts of the drawing.

Student has shown little evidence of creativity, but the student has done the assignment.

Student has not made much attempt to meet the requirements of the assignment.

 

Time/Effort Class time was used wisely. Much time and effort went into the planning and design of the drawing. It is clear the student did his/her best work.

Student could have put in more time and effort.

Class time was not always used wisely.

Class time was not used wisely and the student put in no additional effort.

 

Print Resources

Hamilton, George Heard. The Art and Architecture of Russia. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1954.

Myers, Bernard and Copplestone, Trewin. Art Treasures in Russia. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1970.

Voyce, Arthur. The Art and Architecture of Medieval Russia. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1967.