Download Chapter 11

Hit the Concrete
Focus
At the end of this presentation
you will be able to identify:
 The importance of the arch, vault and concrete
 Types of Concrete
 Types of Columns
 Distinctive Roman buildings and structures
 The special elements of each building/structure
 Why the Pantheon is the ultimate example of
Roman architecture.
Roman Architecture
We briefly discussed some of Roman
architecture as it related to theaters,
amphitheaters and the circus. We also
discussed some of the marvels in the Circus
Maximus and the Colosseum or the Flavian
Amphitheater. There are 2 things that made
those fantastic structures so amazing then and
what makes them still amazing 200 years later.
Concrete and the Vault
The Romans may not
have invented the vault or
concrete, but they made
them better. They used
them almost to perfection
and the combination of
the 2 made all of their
super structures. The
concrete was lighter
weight than just stone
masonry and the vault in
its various forms enabled
the Romans to build
stronger, sturdier walls;
an important development
in the earthquake prone
Italy.
Opus caementicium
Concrete was popular because it
could be used in molds or poured
around timber frames which could
then be removed. The Roman recipe
included water, lime and/or volcanic
sand and rubble.
The favorite volcanic sand
seems to have been
Pozzolana which came from
Pozzuoli. The aggregate or
rubble used as a filler
varied from pebbles to
chips of brick and/or tiles.
Types of Concrete
The concrete was normally faced with brick or stone
and occasionally marble, but could stand alone.
 opus
incertum = facing with small stones in an irregular pattern
 opus recticulatum = facing with square stones in a diagonal pattern
 opus quasi reticulatum = facing with irregular stones in a diagonal
pattern
 opus testaceum = facing with bricks
 opus signinum = waterproof cement made with crushed tiles, brick or
pottery
Incertum
Recticulatum
Testaceum
The Arch
Concrete made the arch
something for the Romans
to master. The arch lead to
bigger and better buildings
because it bore the weight
of the building on its piers
without additional
supports, such as pillars.
The Romans realized that if
they put a bunch of arches
together side by side, they
could use it as a roof and thus
the vault resulted. Later the
dome came from putting
arches at different angles. They
also realized that columns
could help them cross vaults at
perpendicular angles.
The Big Deal
All of these various forms of arches and vaults created
many opportunities for Romans. For instance, The
Romans could build a circus, amphitheater or theater
wherever they wanted since the structure would be
supported by the arches and vaults and did not have to be
supported by earth, like a hillside. The vaults and domes
were especially useful in the baths houses and
courthouses. It was the combination of concrete and
vaults/arches that made architecture Roman.
Aedificia
We have already discussed some of the buildings
of the Romans: dwellings, bath houses, theaters,
amphitheaters and circuses. They also built
temples and basilicas and these spectacular
buildings were often around the forum. Since the
forum was open to the elements, it was common
to seek shelter in the porticos surrounding the
forum. A portico was simply a covered entrance
or walkway that was also colonnaded
(surrounded by columns).
Columns
There were several types of columns that were
used in Roman architecture. The Romans adapted
the 3 Greek forms to invent 2 of their own. The
Tuscan was the most plain and like the Doric but
without the ‘ridges’ (flutes). The Composite had
the ‘scroll’ of the Ionic on top of the leaves of the
Corinthian. The Romans also would use more
than one type or order of column on the same
building.
Doric
Tuscan
Ionic
Composite
Corinthian
A Templum
Temples were built not as a place for worshippers
to gather for regular services, but rather as a
home for the statue of the deity and any offerings
people might make. Temples were entered from
the front via stairs because they were built on a
raised surface called a podium. The statue and
perhaps a small altar would be inside the cella, or
an interior room.
Templa
The temple of course would be colonnaded on all
four sides, generally with a double row of
columns in front. The pediment, triangular area
above the columns, often contained an
inscription dedicating the temple as well as
sculptures. The altar on which the sacrifices
(animal not human)
were made was
outside of the
temple, generally in
front of the stairs.
Temples could be
found in the forum,
near theaters, near
bath complexes or
even on villas.
A Courthouse and so more
A Roman basilica is generally
referred to as a courthouse, but it
was more than that. While legal
cases were heard, but it was also a
place for business. Even in good
weather, deals went down inside.
But in bad weather, any business
that would normally have taken
place outside moved into the
basilica.
Basilica
What distinguished a building as a basilica were
the rows of columns that created aisles. The
center aisle, called a nave, was slightly elevated
because it had windows. These large meeting
halls were later adopted as churches by
Christians, likely because they could hold a lot of
people.
Other Engineering Marvels
The Romans did not
merely construct
spectacular buildings, but
other incredible structures
too. Most notably
aqueducts and roads. The
aqueducts were a series
of arches when they were
above ground. An
aqueduct is just a means
of delivering water, so
underground tunnels were
utilized in addition to the
structures with which we
now know.
Aqueducts
The aqueducts
delivered water to
Rome and then fed
into tanks called
castellum. From
the tanks the water
fed into cisterns
and then into the
pipes which took it
to the public fountains, public baths and then
private homes. Smaller pipes were used for
private homes and had the name of the ‘buyer’
stamped into it to avoid unauthorized water
use.
All Roads Lead to Rome
The Romans constructed
roads in order to deliver
troops and commerce to
even the most remote parts
of the empire as quickly as
possible. Roads were often built by the soldiers
and sometimes
private engineers.
The center of the
road was raised so
that the water would
run off.
Milliarum Aureum
The arch and concrete made it possible to build
bridges. The Romans mastered a system of
building the arches directly in the water, using
simple cranes as needed. Augustus is said to
have placed the milliarum aureum (Golden
Milestone) in the forum. This was actually a
marble post that
recorded
distances from
Rome to
prominent
towns in the
Empire, so all
roads really did
lead back to
Rome.
Pantheon
The Pantheon is the
culmination of Roman
architecture and
engineering. It utilizes
concrete, the arch
and vault to create a
massive dome. This
dome has decreasing
amounts of concrete
as it goes up so that
it does not collapse
under its own weight.
The dome is capped
by an oculus, an
opening to the sky
which illuminates the
interior.
Pantheon
This temple was dedicated to 12 Roman deities and
there are niches in the dome for statues of each. The
rotunda for which the massive dome is the roof, is as
tall as the dome’s diameter. This created not only a
perfect sphere inside the building but also the largest
ever dome made of masonry. It is still in use today
and is nearly perfectly restored.
Assignment
Now you need to complete the
Roman Architecture Today
assignment. From the assignment
page, submit a photo of a building
in your town that contains
elements of Roman architecture
and at least one well written
paragraph that fully explains the
Roman influence. Please remember
to use proper English, including
spelling, grammar and punctuation.
**Nota Bene: an element could be
as simple as a column or an arch.**