Ancient Roman

Architecture

Ancient Roman
Architecture

Heather Pastushok

We will be discussing the following types of architecture:

Temples

Vaulting

Systems

Basilicae

Amphitheatres

Civic Buildings

Triumphal Arches

Roman Orders

Aqueducts

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-Sense of
direction (N/S)
-Sense of
space on a
definite axis
-Ritual

The Pantheon, rebuilt by

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Forum of Augustus.
-The front of the temple appears to be pushed up to one end of the square,
relating to and dominating the space in front of it.
-Domination of a defined space and on a definite axis are qualities in Roman

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Roman Orders

Doric

Ionic

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Corinthian

Levels of the Colosseum corresponding to the

Roman orders

Level 1:
Doric
Level 2:
Ionic
Level 3:
Corinthia
n

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Corinthian Column: Details of the acanthus leaf

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A common plant of the Mediterranean, acanthus leaves

adorned the capitals of the Corinthian capitals, which were the
most popular of the columns in Roman architecture.

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-Use of Corinthian columns, sense of space and direction, small cella, postlintel structure
-One major difference from the Pantheon is the floor plan.

Maison Carree; Nimes, France

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Circular/honeycomb/tholos
(based on megaron)

Floor plan of the Pantheon

Maison Carree

Basilica

Floor plan of
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The rotunda is twice as high as the

porch.
The exterior is made completely of
brick.
The rotunda is also known as a
honeycomb structure.

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-Beehive or cylindrical structure

-Excessively large; known for its size (sense of space
and ritual)

Mausoleum of Augustus
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This temple is dedicated to Vesta, the

goddess of fire. The columns, in
peristyle, protect an altar and fire
located inside the small cella

Temple of Vesta, Rome

-Circular cella
-Supported by Corinthian
columns

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-Dome
made of
concrete
and mortar
-As the
dome rises
near the
oculus it
consists
mostly of
volcanic
material
-Such
material,
which the
Romans had
a great
supply of, is
called
pozzolana.
It is
considered

-The
proportions of
the rotunda
and dome are
based upon
geometry,
most like the
entire building
-The diameter
and height of
the rotunda are
the same: 43.2
meters
-The dome is
21.6 meters
high, exactly
half the height
of the rotunda
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Interior of the
Pantheon
-Floor is curved so rain water
from oculus runs off to the
edge
-First story contains altars,
second story contains 14
blind windows and drum that
supports the dome, and third
story is the dome made up of
coffers

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Oculus
-The only light
source for the
structure
-For a building
dedicated to all the
gods, it should only
admit light from
the heavens

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Floor patterns of
Pantheon
-Floor patterns emphasize
Romans fascination with
geometry and symmetry.
The squares are finite and
measurable whereas the
shape are circles are infinite
and immeasurable. The
opposition creates a
symmetry.

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Coffer
Method
-Series of indented
squares (five rows of
28 coffers each)
-Squares become
smaller towards the
top of the dome for
proper support
-Each square would
have been painted blue
with a star in the
center of each
-Creates optical illusion
that dome is wider
than it actually is
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Roman Vaulting
Systems

A: Barrel Vault
B: Cross/Groin Vault
C: Pavilion Vault
D: Sail Vault
E: Domical Vault
F: Umbrella Dome

The barrel vault, cross vault, and domical

structure (A,C, E) are the most prominent
vaultings in Roman architecture

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-This structure utilizes the barrel vault.

-At the other side of the vault the structure uses the round arch.

Basilica Nova of Maxentius, Rome

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-The bottom story is composed of six arches, and its piers are supported by
buttresses. The second story consists of ten arches, and the third story
carries the actual conduit with thirty-five arches.
-For an efficient water supply to Rome the bridge was built to follow gravity
and slopes down at a slight 0.025 meters/kilometer.

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Pont du Gard; Nimes, France

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Arches, especially the arches constructed in the Pont du Gard, were built
around wooden frames. The frames were removed upon completion.

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-An arch was constructed from each end up to the top until the center piece,
known as the keystone, was ready to be placed.
-The keystone exerted a force on the adjacent stones so that this one stone at
the top held the entire arch together. Thus, it is the key to the structure.

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CANQ?
Characteristics of a triumphal arch

1. Combined columns
2. Arcuated system
3. Nike figures
4. Quadriga
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Triumphal Arch of Titus

-Combined columns
-Arches
-Nike figures
-Quardriga

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Triumphal Arch of Constantine, Rome

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-Although the Colosseum is a triumph,

it is not triumphal.
-With the idea of an arch being a new
Roman technology in architecture, this
mammoth structure is a great
achievement.
-It was the first large, permanent
amphitheatre in Rome.

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-The parts of the Colosseum were

made out of different materials
such as travertine, tufa, and
concrete.
-The travertine held together the
faade.
-The inside walls are made of tufa
blocks.
-Concrete was laid above the
arches and mainly used in the
platform.

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Materials used to construct the

Colosseum

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Floor plan of a Roman

house

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Conclusion!
Position of each structure with
respect to adjacent structures
emphasizes the importance of
direction, space, and ritual

The most popular vaults, the

barrel, cross, and domical vaults, all
come from the idea of the round
arch

Geometrical shapes are

present in the construction and
dcor of each building

Arches were not sturdy because

of mortar, but because of the
keystone

There are three orders of

columns, but Corinthian is the
most prominent in Ancient Rome

Triumphal arches had a different

purpose depending on who they
were built for, but all arches
maintained CANQ.

The majority of the Roman

population lived in insulae, which
were located in the city, poorly
built, yet a comfortable living
space

Two major floor plans in Roman

architecture are the basilica and
circular plan

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Bibliography
Allsopp, Bruce. A History of Classical Architecture. London: Sir Isaac
Pitman and Sons Ltd., 1965.
Boethius, Axel, and J.B. Ward-Perkins. Etruscan and Roman
Architecture. Baltimore: Penguin Books Inc., 1970.
Brown, Frank E. Roman Architecture. New York: George Braziller Inc.,
1961.
Kahler, Heinz. The Art of Rome and Her Empire. New York:
Greystone Press, 1963.
Lanciani, Senatore R. Ancient and Modern Rome. New York: Cooper
Square Publishers Inc., 1963.
MacDonald, William L. The Architecture of the Roman Empire.
London: Yale University Press, 1982.
MacDonald, William L. The Pantheon. Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1976.
Sear, Frank. Roman Architecture. New York: Cornell University
Press,
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Finis
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