THE PANTHEONRome, Italy, c. 126 CE

Selected Work #4ART RESOURCE GUIDE

Watch these:Khan Academy's Pantheon (8:31):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaY8zqYfQI0

Engineering an Empire (9:39) start 2 min. into video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5uecyfK34

Building the Pantheon (8:41): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305niNDG8c4&index=5&list=PL_vT94oYGFZTekvqXh0sgVF1mpaVRIr4g

THE PANTHEON: 4 Views

The development of concreteCONCRETE:

allowed construction projects to last through timeUsed by

Some scholars think it was used by Egyptians It arose DEFINITIVELY with the Romans

Developed out of NECESSITYNo convenient MARBLE QUARRIES in Rome as in Greece

Local stone mostly soft volcanic material Unsuitable for big building!

Ambitious projects required a new, more flexible bldg. material TRIAL & ERROR led to ideal CONCRETE recipe

THUS…development of concreteNOT a single great discoveryBut more of an EVOLVING process of

Innovation & investgation

CONCRETEMade of a mixture of

Lime mortarVolcanic sandStoneWater

A chemical reaction w/ water changes the molecular structure, which

Creates heat Binds them strongly creating “artificial stone”

The resulting material is excellent for constructionCan be molded into any shapeIs FIRE-RESISTANT

Renders ARCHITECTURE a matter ofSPACE rather than MASS(lg., unobstructed areas can be built in almost any

configuration)

Distinctive Features of Roman ConcreteIn earlier eras, builders had used

Lime mortars Manifestations of concrete

But what made Roman concrete different wasThe particular materials usedThe sophistication of their application

Roman buildersBegan with simple

techniquesSuch as mortared rubble construction2 closely placed brink

wallsFilled with rubbleCovered in clay

Later methodsIncluded binding the rubble with poured mortars

of various formulasThe most significant advancement = the

addition of POZZOLANA to the mortar mixtureReddish volcanic dustA.k.a. POZZOLANIC ASHBound esp. well with sand & lime to create a

strong, waterproof mass as it curedAlso, could be set in DAMP CONDITIONS

Allowing for greater flexibility w/ construction schedule

Roman concreteUsed a wide variety of aggregate stoneSTONE gives concrete

Strengthmass

The Romans were careful to choose the right aggregate for the right project. They used everything fromSELCE, a very heavy lava stone toTUFTA and PUMICE – lightweight

They even recycled for use as aggregate:architectural sculptures Stone buildings

Experimentation & innovation = typicalPANTHEON:

significant monument and significant example of innovation

tufa

pumice

The Pantheon: AnalysisOne of the most unusual/remarkable ancient templesBuilt under emperor HADRIAN

Although inscription on front states M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT

Indicating it was Founded by MARCUS AGRIPPA And completed during his 3rd round as consul (27 or 25 BCE)

Agrippa’s original burned (80 CE)2nd structure built by DOMITIAN

was destroyed, too.So this is actually the 3rd versionof a temple at this location

The inscription shows respect forTraditionThe original buildingThe emperor who first sponsored it

The PANTHEONLike the 2 previous versions Was dedicated to all the gods in the Roman

pantheon

BASIC ARCHITECTUREQuite simple

Hemispherical domeSet on cylindrical base

Walls areRounded like a drumResulting in a perfect sphere in the interior

InteriorAmazing scale

Very openNo central supports to break it up

Particularly striking and surprising because entry = traditional Corinthian PORTICO withCOLONNADEPEDIMENTPITCHED ROOF LINE BUT…

BUT…Instead of the

rectangular space suggested by the temple front

One enters a vast, circular space

For a PANORAMIC VIEW, visit

http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_rome_pantheon_

INTERIORMarvel of an interior is made possible

primarily through use of CONCRETEFLEXIBILITY allowed shaping of perfectly

curved lines ofDRUMDOME

The DOME itself possible only due to newly formulated material (CONCRETE)142 feet in diameterThe largest such structure built in Europe

before the 20th century

The Treasury of AtreusBefore the PANTHEON,

the TREASURY OF ATRUS =Only comparable vaulted space WITHOUT

interior supportsBut it’s quite small in comparison

only 43 feet high

THE DOME

Quite complex in designSupported at its base by curved walls of

templeWalls are 20 FEET THICKDome is 20 FEET THICK as it joins the walls

From there, the dome rises to the ceilingIts width gradually decreasing until it’s a mere

6 FEET THICK at the pinnacle

THE DOMEThe dome’s concrete mix included

FIVE different aggregatesWith denser, heavier materials closer to the drumLighter materials used as dome springs upward

COFFERSTelescoping square formsUsed to remove material and

further lighten the load of the dome

OCCULUS30-foot wide opening at top of domeCircular hole = primary source of light for the

interior in antiquity

DECORATIONS:Originally richly decoratedEach COFFER adorned

with a GILDED

BRONZEROSETTEMade it look like a starry

nightThe walls were

multicolored -- covered with marblethin sheets of MARBLE

VENEERMARBLE COLUMNS

NichesThe niches in the drum interior

wereFilled with sculpturesDedicated to all the Roman gods

Decorative elements were brought to the temple from throughout the empireReminder of wealth Extent of Roman holdings

Sheathed modest-looking concrete material from which temple was built

Rich marble & bronze used to spectacular effect

Loss & Recovery of ConcreteAfter the collapse of the Roman Empire, the use of

concrete was drastically reducedBy 400 CE ROMAN RECIPE was losteffectively disappeared until the 14th century

1300s to mid-1600s, concrete used sporadically until

the CANAL DU MIDI1670southern France

EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE1759British engineer JOHN SMEATON used concreteDevon, England

MODERNIZATIONSDevelopment of PORTLAND CEMENT

Most commonly used form todayBy JOSEPH ASPDIN1824

Invention of REINFORCED CONCRETE1849JOSEPH MONIER

used to perfection by the Romans, but has only reemerged relatively recently in history

Is one of the most prevalent building materials in use around the world

Review Games & FlashcardsPlay JEWELS OF WISDOM: The Pantheon at

http://www.cram.com/flashcards/games/jewel/art-04-the-pantheon-4788385

Practice at Quizlet:http://quizlet.com/44372441/art-the-pantheon-p

p-63-66-flash-cards/