Roman Architecture Flashcards
What did the romans and the Greeks have in common
Easy access to the sea was important to their trade and colonisation with other areas
What was earlier construction dominated by
Construction of building for religious purposes
What was the purpose of the roman buildings
Solving practical problems that were a part of everyone’s lives.
What sort of practical buildings did they build
Aqueducts, roads, bridges, sewer systems, public baths and basilicas
What did roman aqueducts do
The provided clean drinking water and were connected to indoor sewer systems in order to carry water away from cities. It also supplied water to bath houses
What were the roman public baths
Warm water was supplied from underground hot springs, but water had to be heated during the day
What was one of Rome’s most important contribution
Development of arches, vaults and domes
What did the development of arches, vaults and domes mark
An architectural revolution
What was wrong with the post and kingdom system
It placed a lot of strain of the weight of the roof on the columns
What did the post and lintel system restrict
The size and height of a building
How were domes created
Through the development of arches vaults and cross vaults
What was the resale of this building system (using domes, arches and vaults)
The weight was transmitted into the supportive walls, so buildings were not dependant on supporting columns as structural elements anymore. This meant that buildings could be taller and the walls could be thinner.
What were columns used for after the invention of the arch
Decorative elements
Did the romans invent concrete
No
What did the romans do with the materials used to make concrete
They exploited them and developed their own type of concrete with which they produced strong walls
What was the first mortar they produced like
It was fast drying, which made building with it difficult.
What did the slow-drying mortar help the romans to do
Expand the potential of the use of the arch and the vault to cover larger spaces without any interior space
What is the pantheon
A well-preserve temple that was built under instruction of the emperor Hadrian on site of an earlier temple, that was dedicated to all the gods
What was the pantheon dedicated to
All the gods
What does the front of the pantheon look like
It consists of a traditional rectangular colonnaded porch and a tall middle block
What were the 16 columns made from
Red and black Egyptian granite with bases and capitals of which Greek marble.
What originally decorate the front pediment
An eagl
What were the middle block and the rotunda made out of
Concrete cove rent in marble
What do the designs of the main hall in the form of
An enormous rotunda
What did the designs of the main hall symbolise
Mathematical harmony
How were the designs of the main hall possible to construct
With the availability of slow-drying concrete
What is the rotunda a combination of
A circle a cylinder and a sphere.
What were the measurements of the cylindrical base
44m
What was the height of of the whole structure (rotunda)
44m
What does it mean that the dome on the pantheon is a perfect hemisphere
It means that a whole sphere would fit inside the pantheon
What is the interior of the pantheon made out of
Geometrical shapes
What is the effect on entering the pantheon
It is an experience of vast space
What do theniches in the drum wall suggest
A continuity of space beyond it.
What are the 7 niches dedicated to
The 7 celestial gods
What is each recess flanked by
Two Corinthian pilasters and 4 pairs of massive Corinthian columns echoing the columns used on the porch
What is the upper level of the drum wall decorated with
Pilasters that frame the niches and panels that support a cornice from which the dome rises
What was the large dome made out of
Heavier concrete at the bottom and progressively lighter materials, ending off with a light porous pumice stone
What is the inside of the dome covered in
Rectangular recessed panels known as coffers
How many coffers are there
140
How are the 4 coffers arranged
In 5 tiers and are progressively smaller
What is the effect of the coffers
They reduce the weight of the dome and they are also decorative, emphasising the upward lines and focusing the attention on the main feasture of the dome
What is the main feature of the dome
The oculus
What is the oculus
A circular opening at the centre of the dome with an 8,3m diameter. It is the input source of light in the interior
What does oculus mean
Eye of heaven.
How is the rain dealt with
It comes through the oculus and falls onto the slightly curved floor and into the drainpipes (roman)
How did the pantheon escape dismantling
After it was converted to a Christian church in the 7th century since it had served as inspiration to the Byzantine and renaissance architects and more recently to civic and religious buildings in Europe and America
