ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

1. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

2. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE General Influences • Geographical: • Geological: • Climatic: • Religious: • Socio-Cultural: • Historical:

3. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE GEOGRAPHICAL • Simplicity of the long coast-line of the Italian Peninsula • Apennines runs like a spine down the centre of Italy and much of the country is very mountainous • The central and commanding position of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea enabled Rome to act as an intermediary in spreading art and civilisation

4. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE GEOLOGICAL • Romans could procure terra-cotta, stone, and brick, all of which they used, even for important buildings • Marble • Hard limestone from Tivoli

5. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • The building material, however, which led to great structural innovations • Pozzolana

6. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE CLIMATE • North Italy has the climate of the temperate region of Europe, Central Italy is genial and sunny, while the south is almost tropical.

7. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Every house, whether palace, villa, or " domus," had an altar to the Lares or family gods

8. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE SOCIAL • The early form of government in Italy resembled that of Greece, and towns or districts were joined together in leagues • The government of Rome was at an early period carried on by chosen kings (B.C. 750–500) aided by a popular assembly, but about B.C. 500 Rome became a Republic

9. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE HISTORICAL • Etruscans came to Rome at around 12th Century BCE - Archs and Vaults -Radiating Arch - Tuscan Column - Atrium Type of House - South Orientation of Temples

10. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Influence of Greek Architecture - Romans considered Greek Architecture as the acme of perfection

11. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Distinct Roman Achitecture Flourished in the Augustan Age -Rome as a city of marble from a city of bricks - The purpose of construction

12. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE SPECIFIC INFLUENCES • Architectural Character: - Vastness -Magnificence -Ostentation -Omateness

13. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Romans had the desire to create buildings that would reflect the prestige, wealth and might of the Roman Empire. It has the motif of pretentiousness as they want to impress other people about what the have. Bonggasius, Elegant looking

14. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE BUILDING MATERIALS Materials naturally found in mainland Italy: -Travertine -Terracotta -Carrara -Pozzolana Sand

15. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Materials supplied by different Roman Colonies: • Marbles • Alabaster

16. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM • This system of construction used by the romans have focused on the use of archs instead of a post and lintel construction which focuses on the usage of beams instead of archs

17. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

18. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE COMPERATIVE ANALYSIS • Plans - Mostly Roman plans are only one-storey because of the diversity of their activities -They also have some variety of multi-storey structures that were present

19. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Walls • The walls that the Romans made were made of stone and concrete in general with different facings such as: • Opus -Quadratum • Opus-Insertum • Opus-Reticulatum • Opus-Testaceum • Opus-Mixtum

20. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Opus-Quadratum Opus-Insertum Opus-Reticulatum Opus-Mixtum Opus-Testaceum

21. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Arches - An arch is a structure that spans through a space while supporting weight. The Romans have developed this structure to be used in their buildings and eventually developed into different styles and shapes

22. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

23. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Roofs • Semi Circular • Cross Vault • Cupula or Dome

24. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • 3 Kinds of Buttress • A buttress is an architectural structure used to support and reinforce a wall. It is built against a wall or projecting from a wall.

25. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Examples: • Hemicycle : semi circular in structure and made up of brick or stone • Spur: Buttress that is triangular in shape used to strengthen the bottom of a round tower • Pinnacle Buttress: additional weight to the Spur buttress

26. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Burial Places: • Cemeteria- Subterranean Tomb • Monumental Tombs- Large Cylinrical block, open of quadrangular podium topped with conical ground of eart

27. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Pyramidal- After the Egyptians • Temple Shaped- After the Greeks • Sculptured Memorial- tomb in varying forms and ornaments • Cenotaphs- burial place for soldiers

28. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • ORNAMENTS • Mosaic : Used on walls, floors, etc. with the following patterns • Opus-Tesselatum or Verniculatum • Made up of square Tesserae cut in square shapes

29. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Opus Sectile or Sculatum • Usually cut in various shapes and used on walls

30. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Opus Spicatum – Used specially on floors and is often in Chevron or Herringbone pattern

31. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Mural Paintings

32. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • EXAMPLES OF FAMOUS ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Forum – Described as a market place It has been the center of Political and Civic Activities Also considered as the business district

33. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

34. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Roman Temples : Temple of Venus by Apollodorus Damascus

35. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Temple of Maison Carree Biggest existing Roman Temple Served as a model for the Capitol in the UA by Thomas Jefferson

36. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Circular temples Temple of Vesta The most sacred Shrine in Rome Vesta is the virgin goddess of Hearth, Home and Family

37. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • The Pantheon The supreme example of Roman structure of ingenuity and its aesthetic apogee

38. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • 5,000 tons of concrete, but the content of the concrete varied to lighten the load as it ascended. • Mixed with heavy basalt at the bottom, the layers contained porous, lightweight pumice at the top. • The coffers of the dome also diminish in size and depth as the dome rises.

39. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • The sole supports of the dome are 16 barrel vaults channelling weight to eight piers, disguised by cosmetic columns. • The 30 foot-wide oculus at the apex of the dome is the only natural source of light inside. • The geometry and details of design create a cosmic symbol to match the purpose of the temple.

40. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Thermae – An elevated public bath over a platform with utilities underneath

41. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • In many ways, baths were the ancient Roman equivalent of community centers. Because the bathing process took so long, conversation was necessary. Many Romans would use the baths as a place to invite their friends to dinner parties, and many politicians would go to the baths to convince fellow Romans to join their causes.

42. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • The thermae had many attributes in addition to the baths. There were libraries, rooms for poetry readings, and places to buy and eat food. The modern equivalent would be a combination of a library, art gallery, mall, restaurant, gym, and spa.

43. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Main Building : Three Parths of the Themae • Tepidarium-warm room

44. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Calidarium- Hot Water bath • Sudatarium – also referred to as sweat bath with the hottest bath and tiscina(pool)

45. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE Theatre • Theatre Orange

46. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Amphitheatre – Place for Gladiatorial Combat

47. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • THE BASILICA: INFLUENTIAL FORUM Roman basilica was a place of public assembly and commerce, as well as a hall of justice.

48. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Triumphal Arches • Arch of Titus- made to commemorate the capture of Jerusalem

49. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Arch of Tiberius- this was made to commemorate the recovery of Roman Standards lost by Varus at the battle of the teutoburg forest

50. ROMAN ARCHITECTURE • Arch of Constantine- in honor of the victory over maxentius