Roman architecture

They say Rome wasn’t built in a day. Roman architecture was unlike anything witnessed

before. Though the Romans may have borrowed some of its designs from ancient Greek,

Persians, and Egyptians, roman architects changed architecture forever. The Romans architecture

gave the people building; they had never witnessed before; this also includes public structures

and roads. The Roman architecture peak came during the Pax Romano period, a period that

lasted for 200 years. During this period, the Romans did not look to expand their territory, and

due to them being peaceful, architecture thrived. During the pax period, Romans came up with

architectural influences and innovations that have been used to this day. This paper discusses the

innovative and derivative of the Roman architecture that enabled the Pantheon and Colosseum

construction.

The most significant innovation the roman architecture came up with was the use of

concrete to build. The Romans quickly realized how the concrete was more vital for building

houses than the marbles used previously. Another characteristic of concrete that made it more

appealing to use for construction was that it could be decorated quickly and have different shapes

sculpted—the marbles on the other side, you had to curve shapes from them. A blend of water,

lime mortar, sand, and colored volcanic rock, were components that made the Roman concrete

(opus caementicium).

The Pantheon is the biggest circular temple remaining in ancient classical times. It is

perhaps the most outstanding example of Rome's old art; it was a temple dedicated to the

Romans gods. Though it has lost most of its interior decorating, the Pantheon remains the best

protected and preserved of any Roman monuments. The structure is simple but takes the breath
away of any visitor through its dimension and structural design. The facility is a temple-like

court that lies 142 vast circular halls under a low dome. The rotundas walls of the Pantheons

form a drum where the dome springs directly. There are no windows in the building. Light gets

into the building through a 28-foot oculus that is left open from above. The walls are twenty feet

thick to withstand; the dome's thrust, and eight apse-like niches hollowed in them, one opened to

create the central doorway, the others built for sculptures of gods later converted into side

chapels by the Christians. It must have had a beautiful interior during its time, but now what is

left of it is simple engineering that thrills tourists.

In ancient Rome, amphitheaters were arenas used as wrestling, bullfighting, public

meetings, and displays. One of the surviving amphitheaters is the Colosseum in Rome. Although

the interior design of the structure has disappeared, the Colosseum remains an impressive

structure to visit. The facility was constructed under Emperors Titus, Domitian, and Vespasian.

The structure is made of concrete, but the facing is made of marble. The arena sits on a 6 acre, a

bowl that is 600 feet long and can accommodate close to 60000 individuals. The colosseum seats

were divided into two; the upper-class seats were made of marble and the lower class ones made

of wood. Its design is efficient and genuine in that aspect. However, the marble facing a certain

level reduces gravity, ignores innovation, and compares poorly with the heavy materials.

To conclude, the Romans' architecture was not solely made of just concrete. Both marble

and concrete building stands beside each other in Rome, Outlining that Roman valued the

architecture that had been around since the Mediterranean as much as they appreciated their

invention. Ultimately, Roman architecture is a roaring success of innovation and a drive to

accomplish something unique.

 Reference

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