roman archiitecture

7/23/2019 Roman archiitecture

1/31

ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

Geographical: The central position of Italy in the Mediterranean sea helped

to spread Roman Art ci!ili"ation to the rest of E#rope$ %est Asia NorthAfrica& Romans 'rst con(#ered )y *ar$ then r#led )y la*s ci!ili"ed )yarts letters& Romans adopted the lang#age of classical Gree+architect#re impro!ed the same to s#it their p#rposes&

Geological: Rome had an a)#ndance of )#ilding materials , Tra!ertine *asa hard limestone$ -eperino is a stone of !olcanic origin$ T#fa is a type of!olcanic earth$ plenty of mar)le and the terracotta *hich *as #sed

commonly& .#t it *as concrete made from -o""olona that led to greatstr#ct#ral inno!ations& -o""olona *as a type of sand *hich$ *hen mi/ed

Map of the Roman empire

0actors in1#encingArchitect#re


2/31

Climatic: Italy has a !aried climate *ith the north ha!ing a temperateclimate$ central Italy e/periencing Mediterranean climate so#th ha!ingan almost tropical climate& This has res#lted in !aried architect#ralfeat#res treatment of )#ildings& More o!er$ the Roman Empire spread to

Central E#rope$ 2pain$ %est Asia North Africa$ *hich res#lted in localmodi'cations to the predominant Roman 2tyle& The Roman order$ as it iscommonly +no*n comprises of a semicirc#lar arched opening *ithcol#mns on either side$ s#pporting an enta)lat#re& The roman semicirc#lararch *as of Etr#scan origin&

Roman Orders


3/31

Religio#s: Romans *ere not !ery religio#s people their religion *asadopted from the Gree+s& Religion *as a matter of state policy& 3#piter *asthe chief god$ *ith 4en#s as the god of )ea#ty$ Mars as the god of *ar 4esta as the goddess of the Hearth 5home6& They )#ilt more p#)lic

)#ildings than temples , the )asilica *as the co#rt ho#se$ the p#)lic )athsfor recreation$ the amphitheatres for *atching sport the circ#s forracing&

2ocial:& The 7om#s *as the ho#se *ith a co#rtyard implicit o)edience tothe father *as the +ey aspect of the family life& The Roman social systemhad only Roman citi"ens sla!es *ith no middle class& The 0or#m *as thecenter of p#)lic life national commerce$ as the mar+ets *ere locatedaro#nd it& The senators en8oyed an e/alted position and disting#ishedthemsel!es as la* ma+ers& The Emperor *as all po*erf#l it *as his)o#nden d#ty to protect his empire people&

Historical: Rome is )elie!ed to ha!e )een fo#nded in 9; .C )y the t*ins$

Rom#l#s Reem#s& The Etr#scans *ho settled in central Italy *ere theearly )#ilders they are credited *ith de!eloping the Arch the T#scanorder& After 3#li#s Caesar consolidated the Roman Empire$ there *as an#nsettled period *ith the reign of < emperors& Then A#g#st#s esta)lishedhimself his r#le +no*n as the =A#g#stan age> is considered as a goldenperiod& He is credited *ith re!itali"ing art$ architect#re literat#re& Then

follo*ed a line of famo#s emperors s#ch as Nero$ Tra8an$ Hadrian$Caracalla 7iocletian$ *ho *ere all great patrons of architect#re& .y


4/31

Roman *alls

Romans started constr#cting *alls )y #sing small pieces of stone s#ch ast#fa$ mar)le$ pepperino$ )ric+s$ etc *ith lime and po""olona$ there)y

po#ring this concrete into *alls *ith tim)er sh#ttering& =op#s (#adrat#m>*as rectang#lar pieces of stone laid *ith mortar sec#red )y cramps&=op#s incert#m> *as concrete *all faced *ith irreg#lar pieces of stone&=op#s retic#lat#m> *as concrete *all *ith diagonal lines patterns&Concrete faced *ith triang#lar shaped )ric+s of @&> thic+ness *as +no*nas =op#s testace#m>& At reg#lar inter!als a )ric+ )onding co#rse *as#sed& Concrete *all faced *ith )ands of t#fa stone in )et*een )ric+ facing

*as +no*n as =Op#s mi/t#m>&

Opus quadratum

Opus incertum Opus reticulatum

Opus testaceum Opus mixtum


5/31

Constr#ction of roman arches

Only the semicirc#lar arches in )ric+ stone *ere #sed d#ring the

classical period& Other types of arches*ere employed d#ring the


6/31

Constr#ction of 4a#lts 7omes

The character of roman architect#re is largely dependent on the #se of!a#lting as a standardi"ed str#ct#ral system& The semicirc#lar )arrel !a#lt*as constr#cted )y ha!ing a series of )ric+ arches$ connected )y tiles$ th#sforming compartments into *hich$ the concrete *as po#red& The cross !a#lt

formed )y the intersection of ? semicirc#lar !a#lts of e(#al span *as #sedo!er s #are s aces& The lines of intersection are +no*n as = roins>&

Cross vaulting in a basilicashowing the Groins


7/31

Roman architect#ral character

The Romans adopted the tr#e arch *ith radiating !o#ssoirs de!eloped )ythe Etr#scans& Tho#gh the Romans #sed the col#mnar tra)eated style ofthe Gree+s$ they also de!eloped the arch$ !a#lt the dome& Thecom)ined #se of the col#mn$ )eam arch is the +ey note of the Romanstyle&

The Romans added the T#scan Composite order to the < orders of Gree+architect#re$ ma+ing them in all& The T#scan order is a simpli'ed !ersionof the 7oric$ a)o#t 9 dia& high$ *ith )ase$ #n1#ted shaft$ simply moldedcapital a plain enta)lat#re& The Composite order has a capital that is a

com)ination of Corinthian Ionic and *as #sed in tri#mphal arches$ togi!e an ornamental character&

The Romans #sed the orders mostlyas decorati!e feat#res$ as the!a#lting domes employed ser!edas the str#ct#ral system&

Roman Corinthiancapital

Tuscan order


8/31

The comple/ ci!ili"ation of the Romans re(#ired )#ilding *ith manystoreys and hence they )#ilt these apartments$ mar+ets$ amphitheatresetc& #sing the attached half col#mns$ one a)o!e the other in each 1oor asp#rely decorati!e elements&

Concrete co#ld )e made in any part of the Roman Empire and it is thisfactor that ga!e #niformity of appearance to the )#ildings e/ec#ted in the!ario#s parts of the empire& Concrete !a#lts *ere erected *hose spans*ere ne!er e(#aled #ntil the #se of steel in the @Bthcent#ry&

The *alls of concrete *ere sheathed e/ternally internally *ith mar)le$stone$ )ric+ or mosaic& Romans also #sed fre(#ently the mar)le st#ccoesfor *all 'nish& M#ral paintings of !ario#s types s#ch as fresco$ tempera !arnish *ere done on prepared *all s#rfaces&

Mosaics *ere #sed to ornament the 1oors , Op#s !ermic#lat#m is made#p of s(#arish patterns in stone$ mar)le many colored glass$ Op#ssectile is a pattern of mar)le$ porphyry or glass c#t into !ario#s shapes

and op#s spicat#m is made of pa!ing )ric+s$ set in a herring )one pattern& The *alls had either semicirc#lar or rectang#lar niches to accommodate

the stat#es$ *hich *ere sometimes 1an+ed )y col#mns s#pporting apediment$ *hich together ser!ed to frame the stat#e& Gilded )ron"eco!ered the roof of important )#ildings&

The )arrel !a#lt$ the cross !a#lt the domes$ *hich )ecame the standard

str#ct#ral system d#ring roman times$ predominantly in1#enced thecharacter of their )#ildin s& The octa onal s #are coer attern on the


9/31

EDAM-E2 THE 0ORUM

The 0or#m Roman#m in Rome is the oldest *as laid o#t in the !alley)et*een the 9 hills& The chief p#)lic )#ildings *ere gro#ped aro#nd it m#stha!e )een !ery impressi!e since it *as adorned *ith !ictory pillars$ stat#es

and s#rro#nded )y porticoes$ colonnades$ )asilicas$ temples shops& It is)elie!ed that initially it *as #sed as a hippodrome for racing horse dri!en


10/31

EDAM-E2 , THE -ANTHEON$ ROME

The -antheon$ meaning the temple of the gods$ *as )#ilt as a shrine tothe 9 deities of the 9 planets$ of the Roman religion& It is the )estpreser!ed )#ilding of its age in the *orld is act#ally a re)#ilding in @?A7 )y Hadrian of the original temple )y Agrippa& The Corinthian octastyleportico$ @@;F *ide )y ;F deep$ forms an imposing entrance to this circ#lar

temple& The #n1#ted$ monolithic col#mns of granite *ith capitals in *hitemar)le are a)o#t F > high s#pport an enta)lat#re of @@F height *ith


11/31

The plan is a com)ination of a rectang#lar Gree+ style portico *ith the

circ#lar form of a roman temple& At the rear of the entrance portico areniches in *hich stood the colossal stat#es of A#g#st#s Agrippa$ 1an+ingthe )ron"e entrance door& The rot#nda 5temple6 is circ#lar *ith )oth theinternal diameter height as @?F>& The circ#lar concrete *all is ?;Fthic+$ faced e/ternally *ith )ric+ lined internally *ith mar)le porphyry&There are recesses *ith one forming the entrance the others

accommodating the stat#e of the gods& Of the remaining 9$ < aresemicirc#lar e/edras are rectang#lar recesses$ *ith all of them ha!ing

@?F>dia&

@?F>

SemicircularexedraeRectangularrecess

Corridor around the dome base to takethe lateral thrust of the dome toprevent it from splitting

Oculus

Niches forstatue

Staircase

!"N


12/31

The monolithic mar)le col#mns fronting the recesses a)o#t high$s#pport an enta)lat#re$ on *hich sits the attic 1oor& The attic 1oor is m#chshorter in height has )lind *indo*s treated *ith mar)le st#cco& Thesemi circ#lar e/edras are roofed )y a semidome$ *hile the rectang#larrecesses ha!e relie!ing arches& Only the )arrel !a#lt a)o!e the entrance the semidome o!er the apse ha!e )een e/tended #p to the attic 1oor&The mar)le col#mns ha!e their lo*er third part ca)led #pper part 1#ted&

A)o!e the attic is the springing of this enormo#s dome *hich *as#ns#rpassed #ntil @9@ A7& E!en no* it holds the record for the largest


13/31

The dome is a hemisphere$ the inner s#rface of *hich is coered in ranges that diminish in si"e as they go to the top& Each of the moldingsare ad8#sted shortened *ith regard to their appearance from )elo* *ere originally em)ellished *ith central )ron"e ornaments& The coers notonly ornament the s#rface of the dome$ )#t also ser!e to red#ce its*eight& The lighting is only thro#gh the circ#lar gla"ed opening$ a)o#t ?9Fin dia$ at the cro*n of the dome$ *hich still retains its circ#lar )ron"ecornice& This method of lighting prod#ces a most impressi!e eect the

oc#l#s *as sym)olic of the s#n& It has )een fo#nd that as *ind )lo*s o!erthe dome$ it creates a negati!e press#re "one at the top that p#lls o#t the


14/31

The thic+ness of the dome !aries from ?@F aro#nd the )ase of the dome to

F aro#nd the oc#l#s& 2ince the height from the 1oor to the top and thediameter are the same 5@?F>6$ the *hole interior *o#ld e/actly 't*ithin a c#)e of the same dimensions& It can )e seen that the romans*ere *ary of the dome splitting a)o#t its ha#nches& 2o they ha!e madethe masonry at the ha#nches e/tra thic+ ha!e gone as far as to incl#dea corridor encircling the )ase of the dome$ *hich act#ally acts as a ring

)eam& .#t architect#rally$ it is the com)ination of the dome $ the cylinder the triang#lar prism that has capt#red the imagination of people so

Section# Sectional elevation $ view of the detail atthe roof top


15/31

This !ie* of the interior is a painting )y -annini$ *ho *as a renaissanceartist& Ho*e!er$ it has )een recorded that the ceiling of the portico had a

)ron"e !a#lt that there *as a )ron"e relief depicting the )attle of thetitans$ in the pediment of the )#ilding& The main concept is depending

EDAM-E2 THE COO22EUM ROME


16/31

EDAM-E2 , THE COO22EUM$ ROME

The Colosse#m also +no*n as the 0la!ian amphitheatre *as )#ilt from 9;,?A7& Amphitheatres are charecteristic of roman ci!ili"ation *ere )#ilt to*atch mortal com)at& The )iggest one )#ilt in Rome$ called the Colosse#m$*as capa)le of seating ;$;;; spectators& It is a storeyed str#ct#re$ held the chariots horses )efore the start of the race the spina *as thecentral di!iding median em)ellished *ith !ictory pillars stat#tory& Rising

on either side *ere the ra+ed seats of the gallery *hich *ere of mar)le a colonnaded str#ct#re *ith piers$ !a#lts$ corridors staircases s#pported

ROMAN 2CU-TURE


31/31

ROMAN 2CU-TURE

Cloc+*ise form top , 4itr#!ian man$head feet of Constantine$ Marc#sA#reli#s$ !itr#!ian man$ 4en#s Herc#les&

roman archiitecture

Documents