Download Ancient Roman Architecture

Ancient Roman
Architecture
Ancient Roman
Architecture
Map of the Empire

Rome lies at the centre
Structure of Lecture
Materials and associated Forms:
 Walls in Brick & Stone
 Roofs in Timber with Roman Tiles
 Discovery of Concrete: found material mixed
with water and aggregate, made into walls and
vaults, to form arched or domed forms such as
the PANTHEON, 2nd. C. AD Temple of all the
Gods, Rome, by Emperor Hadrian.

The Temple of the
Pantheon, Rome.
The concrete dome is
the same height as its
width. There are no
windows except the
oculus in the ceiling.
The floor is dished to
let the water out
through the drain
under the floor. Note
the rings of coffers in
the ceiling to lighten the
loading.
The
Pantheon
The Roman Orders
The Doric
 The Tuscan – Roman version of Doric, with
base
 The Ionic – sometimes without fluting
 The Corinthian – “
“
“
 The Composite – combination of ionic and
Corinthian, sometimes without fluting
Note the exterior of the Colosseum for the
stacking of the orders, D, I, & C, & arches
between. Veil covers the roof.

The Colosseum, with stacking of orders, and arrangement for
suspension of veil over space, manned by sailors. Cables
stretched down to the ground and hitched to holders.
Roman
Note:
Impluvium
Peristylium
Tablinum
Triclinum
Cucina & Ala
Roman Houses had no
or few windows, but gained
light from the sky, and rain
in the impluvium and
garden. The master could sit
in the Tablinum to control
business & clients.
Roman Villa – the rich farmhouse
Villa floor with mosaic décor
and cnetrepiece
View of large villa with
symmetrical plan
and capable of producing
vine, etc., and used as
a hunting base.
Roman Villa, with wall
paintings with perspective effects
Roman road system, to allow armies
to travel, and the rich to communicate
with their villas in the country.
The Roman Palace
Palace of the Caesars on the
Palatine Hill, Rome
Retirement Palace of
Diocletian, Split, on the
Adriatic Sea
Public Buildings
Roman temples had a porch at the front,
and simpler arrangements than
Greek ones. The complex at Baalbek
shows clever arrangement of different
Cults together.
Roman Shopping Centres
Hadrian’s Shopping Centre, Rome with upper level with another
layer of shops, and light coming in beneath
groined vault in concrete.
The Roman Forum
The Roman Forum, Rome. This
acted as the political and business
centre of the empire, with the
Senate House still standing. Note
the triumphal arches and the
Rostrum for speeches.
Basilica in Morrocco
The basilica was a multi-purpose
Building for the courts, banking
and money-changing. They had
apses at one or both ends, and lines
of columns supporting a timber
pitched roof, with windows
called clerestories under.
Baths - Thermae
Tombs
Hadrian’s Tomb in Rome, over the
Tiber, and connected by its original
Bridge, with Bernini’s statues.
The Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus
was devoted to chariot
racing, viewed by the
Emperor form the
Palatine Palace. A central
Spine separated the two
Courses for the
Chariots.
The Amphitheatre
The Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome, or
Colosseum, was designed for gladitorial and
animal combats, with a veil (velarium) over.
Legacy of Rome