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Roman Architecture
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Roman Architecture
Roman Building Materials
Stone–especially travertine, a hard durable limestone.
Marble–the Romans thought marble was elegant and used it as a veneer on important buildings.
The Romans were skilled in the use of stone as a building material. However, this kind of
construction requires a ready supply of suitable stone and skilled masons to cut it. Transporting it
from distant quarries was a consideration. As the Romans expanded their empire, the ingenious use
of brick, cement and concrete allowed them to carry out extensive building projects in remote parts
of the world.
Brick–formed and fired at the building site. No specially-trained craftsmen were required to make
bricks. Slaves, women and even children could make bricks. An additional advantage to using brick
as a building material was that suitable clay is available almost everywhere in the world.
Pozzolana cement special earth which abounds in all volcanic regions of Italy. Large-scale building
with brick would have been impossible without quality cement for mortar.
Concrete–cement mixed with rubble, cast in wooden frames called shutterings.
Scagliola–plaster mixed with glue to create an imitation marble surface to a brick or concrete core.
Roman Architectural Elements
The arch is the basic structural unit of Roman architecture. The Romans did not invent the arch, but
probably learned of it from the Etruscans.
Etruscans—people of unknown origin who appeared in central Italy about 700 B.C. Some Etruscan
features appeared in Roman art, particularly the use of the arch in architecture.
The Romans exploited the full potential of the arch as an architectural element.
Centering—wooden form used as a temporary support in building an arch or dome.
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Pier–vertical support of the arch
Round arch—half a circle
Voussoirs–wedge-shaped stones used to make an arch.
Key stone–central wedge-shaped stone that forces the voussoirs together.
Springing–the point at which the arch curves away from the pier.
Buttress–external support to counter the outward thrust of the arch.
Arches may be arranged to form vaults.
Barrel or Tunnel vault–arched roof made by a continuous row of arches forming a passageway.
Groin vault, also called a Cross vault–structure framed by arches set at right angles.
The outward thrust of one arch is countered by the thrust of the arch that meets it at right angles from
the other side.
Dome–hemisphere-shaped roof made from arches set in a circular pattern.
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Roman Temples
Pantheon–monumental Roman temple in Rome. Pantheon–the name means “dedicated to all the
gods.” (pan = all, theon = gods)
Podium–base
Portico–a colonnaded, covered porch.
Colonnade–a row of columns.
Rotunda–a round space covered by a dome.
Dome of the Pantheon–symbol of the sky, “Dome of Heaven.”
The dome is buttressed with cast cement rings.
Oculus–eye–opening in the top of the dome. The oculus symbolized the sun and the eye of Jupiter
who was the supreme celestial deity of Rome.
Coffers–concentric geometric shapes that recede progressively toward their center.
Name the parts of the Pantheon:
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The Temple Portunus is similar in plan to the Maison Carée in Nimes, France. The Maison Carrée
was the inspiration for Thomas Jefferson’s design for the state capitol building in Richmond,
Virginia.
The Virginia state Capitol Building, designed by
Thomas Jefferson. Richmond, Virginia, 1788.
Photo by permission of ARTstor.
Maison Carrée, Nimes, France, 16 BCE.
Photo by permission of ARTstor.
Column Capitals
The Romans adopted the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian capitals of Greek architecture.
The Romans liked decoration, so the Corinthian capital was a favorite. The curving foliate
decoration of the Corinthian capital is a stylized representation of the Acanthus leaf. Acanthus is a
weed that grows wild in Mediterranean countries in the same way that dandelions grow here.