ROMAN

ARCHITECTURE
{ FTI 2052
HISTORY OF ART & ARCHITECTURE 1
Roman Empire
Roman Architecture

 Continued the legacy from Greek.

 Many Roman architects are trained in Greece.
 Innovative in creating new construction
techniques (arches, vaults, dome).
 Invented concrete.
 Developed new classical order.
 More public infrastructure.
  Developed new
classical order;

• Tuscan
• Composite

Roman Architecture
Roman Architecture
Three important elements of Roman
Architecture;

 The Arch
 The Vaults
 The Concrete
 The Arch consists of two
support, called piers.
 Each topped by a platform
called impost.
 Angled block of brick or
stone called voussoirs (voo-
swars) are placed on the
impost in an arched, curved
pattern that is capped by the
central block of the arch
called a keystone.
Arches
 A row of arches is called an
arcade.
 Arches allowed the Romans
to create wider, taller and
lighter structures.
 It will also make the wall
even stronger.

Arches
 Vaults are extended arches.

 The Roman used them to create

large open rooms and high
covered passageways.

 Two types of vaults; barrel vaults

and groin vaults.

Vaults
Barrel Vaults Groin Vaults
 Created a revolution in
architectural design.

 Larger, stronger building

with faster construction.

 Used on arches, vaults

and dome.

Concrete
 Aqueducts & Bridges
 These massive structures,
with single, double or triple
tier of arches, were designed
to carry fresh water to urban
centers from far away.

 Bridges use similar arches to

span across rivers
Pont Du Gard, Southern France.
Basilicas
 Basilica was adopted by
the Christian Church as a
place for gathering.

 Common use is law

courts.
St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.
Basilicas
 Usually built along one
side of the forum, the
city’s market place, which
was enclosed on all sided
by colonnades.

 The basilica’s long hall

and roof was supported
by columns on all sides.
Colonnades at St Peter’s Square.
 Basilicas

 The columns created a

central nave flanked on all
sides by an aisle.

 A gallery ran around the

first floor.

St Peter’s basilica interior, the altar.

 A place where the Romans
relax and socialize.

 Huge complexes include a

wide diversity of rooms
offering different facilities;
swimming pools, reading
area, lounges.
Swimming pool (olympic size) of the Baths
of Caracalla, Rome.

Roman Baths (Thermae)

 Typical elements of Roman Baths:

 Apodyterium – changing room.

 Palaestrae – exercise rooms.
 Notatio – open air swimming pool.
 Laconica and sudatoria – superheated
dry and wet sweating rooms.
 Calidarium – hot room, heated and
with hot-water pool.
 Tepidarium – warm room, indirectly
heated and with tepid pool.
 Frigidarium – cool room, unheated and
with cold-water basin, often
monumental in size and domed, it Roman public bath in Bath, England.
was the heart of the baths complex.
 Rooms for massage and other health
treatments.
Roman Baths (Thermae)
 Baths and the need to create
large airy rooms with lofty
ceiling brought development
of the architectural dome.

 The development of concrete

in the form of stiff mortared
rubble allowed unsupported
walls to be built wider apart,
as did hollow brick barrel
vaults supported by buttress
arches. Bath of Caracalla

Roman Baths (Thermae)

Pantheon
 Exterior

 The building is consists of two

principle part; the portico which is
very Greek in appearance, and the
rotunda which is in Roman style.

Portico of Pantheon
 Rotunda was built with brick
and concrete faced with
marble stucco.

 Dome was built with

concrete and was originally
covered in bronze sheet.

 Pantheon’s dome is the

largest unsupported dome in
the world for 1300 years.
 Interior
 The Pantheon may be the first
building where the interior is
made to outshine the exterior.
 The rotunda in diameter is
exactly the maximum height
of the dome, itself a perfect
hemisphere.
 At the very top of the dome is
an opening to the sky, oculus.
Painting by Giovanni Paolo Panini
 The Roman temple was a
combination of the Etruscan
and Greek models with an
inner cella at the rear of the
building surrounded by
columns.

 Placed on a raised platform

(up to 3.5 meters high) with a Maison Carre, Nimes, France.
stepped entrance and
columned porch.
Temples
 Theatres display the
Roman passion for
enclosing spaces.

Theater at Merida, Spain.

Theatres & Amphitheaters

 They were often
(partially or completely)
roofed in wood or
employed canvas
awnings.

Amphitheater of Pompeii

Theatres & Amphitheaters

 Made up of three parts;
 The Cavea (seating)
 The Arena
 The Vomitorium (arched
entrances to allow rapid
dispersal)

Amphitheater of Merida, Spain.

Theatres & Amphitheaters

 The Colosseum is the
largest and most
famous

 Highly decorative
exterior, seats set over a
network of barrel
The Colosseum
vaults.

Theatres & Amphitheaters

 Underground rooms
below the arena floor to
hide people, animals
and props until they
were needed in the
spectacles. 

The Colosseum

Theatres & Amphitheaters

{ Theater
{ Amphitheater

 Semicircular  Circular or Oval

 For plays, pentomime,  For gladitorial events.
choral events.  No acoustic properties.
 Acoustic properties  Arena and rooms under
 Stage and podium. the arena to keep
animals or props.
  The triumphal arch,
with a single, double,
or triple entrance, had
no practical function
other than to
commemorate in
sculpture and
inscription significant
Arch of Constantine, Rome.
events such as military
victories.

Triumphal Arches
 Arch of Titus Arch of Orange

Triumphal Arches
 Arch of Leptis Magna Arc de Triomphe, Paris.

Triumphal Arches
{ Can you identify the Roman influence in these
buildings?
Contemporary architecture influenced by the Romans

Jefferson Memorial US Capitol Building

Contemporary architecture influenced by the Romans

Lincoln Memorial
Contemporary architecture influenced by the Romans

Federal Court, New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Contemporary architecture influenced by the Romans

Federal Court, New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art

Contemporary architecture influenced by the Romans

Union Station, Washington D.C.