ARC 110 History of Architecture I

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ARC 110History of Architecture I

• Module 7
• Roman Architecture

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Module Outline

• Lecture 22
• Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
• Lecture 23
• Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Influences- The Etruscans
• Engineering Innovation and achievements
• Roman Buildings
• Lecture 24
• Roman Buildings
• Lecture 25
• Other architectural elements
• Roman city Planning and Design
• Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

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Learning Outcomes

• We should expect to learn the following about the
  civilization
• Structural revolution and invention of new
  materials
• Innovative use of structural solutions in
  engineering and buildings structures
• The invention of new building types for different
  purposes
• The invention of functional space in architecture
• The use of the orders as decorative elements in
  design

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Module 7 Lecture 22Roman Architecture
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Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 22
• Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs

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Historical Background
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Historical BackgroundLocation

• Roman architecture refers to the architecture of
  Rome and of the Roman Empire
• The Roman Empire was one of the largest early
  empires in history, stretching from England in
  Northern Europe to the Ancient Near East and
  Africa
• The pink area of the Map shows the greatest
  extent of the Roman Empire
• Rome, located on the Italian peninsula was the
  capital of the empire
• From the capital, an infrastructure of roads and
  communication systems was established to connect
  the whole empire
• Rome is today the capital of Italy

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Historical BackgroundPeriod

• The city of Rome was founded in 753 BC.
• Roman civilization with Rome as capital lasted
  for more than a thousand years.
• The history of the civilization can be divided
  into three periods
• 753- 510 BC Etruscan Period
• 510 44 BC Republican Period
• 44 BC 476 A.D. Imperial Period

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Historical Background Period- Etruscan Period

• Romans fix the date of the founding Rome at 753
  B. C.
• Prior to this date, the Etruscans established an
  urban culture in the Italian peninsula, which
  reached the height of its development around 600
  B.C.
• They had conquered and established their
  authority over a loose federation of cities
• Rome at its foundation was a minor city and
  became a colony of the Etruscans

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Historical Background Period- Etruscan Period

• Rome was ruled by Etruscan Kings aided by a
  popular assembly
• Towards the end of the 6th century B.C., Etruscan
  power began to decline
• In 509 B.C. Rome revolted against their king and
  established an independent city state
• Further decline in the power of the Etruscans was
  accompanied by the rising influence and
  increasing significance of Rome

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Historical Background Period Republican Period

• After the expulsion of its Etruscan Kings, Rome
  gradually assumed leadership of a number of
  settlements for mutual defense
• This gradually led to the expanding influence and
  dominance of Rome
• By 273 B. C. Rome became the established dominant
  force in the region
• It conquered its rivals, defeating Cathage in 146
  B.C., Macedonia in 168 B. C., Greece in 146 B.C.,
  and Syria in 64 B. C.
• With time Rome also developed a system of
  Representative government

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Historical Background Period Republican Period

• Rome was government by a body of elected male
  representatives of the population known as the
  Senate
• This is why the period is referred to as
  republican or in other word democratic
• Towards the end of the last millennium B.C. Rome
  entered into a series of civil wars which brought
  about the rise of some military dictators, of
  which Julius Caesar was the most successful.
• This brought about the end of the republican
  period

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Historical Background Period Imperial Period

• Following a series of civil wars that ended in 27
  B.C. Caius Ocatavius, who later took the name
  Caesar Augustus assumed the title of emperor
• This ushered in the Imperial period of Roman
  history
• Emperor Augustus undertook a significant
  reorganization of the Roman Empire
• The golden age of architectural development was
  witnessed during this period
• He revitalized national life and created new
  building works

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Historical Background Period Imperial Period

• Augustus was credited with saying that he met
  Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble
• Later it was to transform to a city of concrete
• The 3rd century A.D. was a period of political
  confusion in the Roman Empire
• The Barbarian people living in the north of
  Europe started attacking the Empire
• In 286 A.D. Roman Empire was split into two a
  western empire and an Eastern empire

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Historical Background Period Imperial Period

• Emperor Constantine was able to reunite the
  Empire again in 324 A.D. and established a new
  capital for the empire at the city of Byzantium,
  which he renamed Constantinople
• After his death, the Empire was split again and
  each had a different destiny
• In 476 A.D. the western empire with its capital
  at Rome fell after century of attacks by Vandals
  and Visigoths ending the history of that part
• The Eastern Empire with its capital at
  Constantinople survived and became the focus of a
  civilization that lasted until 1453 A.D. when it
  was sacked by the Ottoman Turks

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Introduction
• The Roman Empire consisted of Rome and all its
  conquered provinces
• Rome was the capital and focus of the Roman
  Civilization
• Roman society was made of the Latinized people
  living on the Italian peninsula and other foreign
  people belonging to the conquered provinces
• The society was not homogenous as its puts
  together people of different origins
• Latin was the widely spoken language,
  particularly in Rome and its environment
• The Roman people were classified into citizens
  and non citizens citizenship can be conferred on
  non citizens

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Introduction
• Citizenship confers the right to vote, make
  contracts and have a legal marriage
• Citizens are divided into two classes members of
  the Roman Senate belonging to the highest social
  class and other citizens
• The Roman people were essentially farmers and
  traders
• Many also aspired to became solders and warriors
  being a warrior provided one of the best means of
  advancing in the society

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Social Life
• Roman society had an active social life
• The forum was the center of social life it is
  very similar to the Greek Agora
• The forum was the place for social, political,
  recreational and religious activities
• Romans participated in a lot of entertainment
  activities

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Social Life
• These activities include spectator sports such as
  drama, chariot racing, and gladiatorial contest
• They also had new unique social activities such
  as recreational bathing
• The practice saw Romans going to a public bath at
  luxurious bathing through chambers of different
  temperature
• In the process they engaged in both intellectual
  and physical interaction

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Religious Beliefs
• Roman people were not deeply religious,
  particularly during the early part of their
  development
• They did not have religious beliefs and
  mythologies of their own, but borrowed from
  societies they come into contact with.
• Contact with other people always resulted in
  changes to their culture, art and way of life
• Most of their religious beliefs were borrowed
  from the Greeks, and like the Greeks, they also
  believed in a number of Gods

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Religious Beliefs
• The Romans believed that the faith of their
  empire lies in the hands of their various Gods
• The state spent money to built temples to the
  various gods
• Public assemblies, such as senate meetings, war
  victories and most state functions were always
  started with sacrifices to a particular god in
  his temple
• The religious well being of the individual Roman
  was his own concern

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• System of Government
• The System of government in ancient Rome was
  democratic
• During the Republican period, Government
  consisted of two elected consuls, a senate and
  judiciary
• The consuls acted as the executive arm of
  government overseeing the activities of the
  senate, army and other executive institutions
  such as tax collectors and police
• The senate was an assembly of selected land
  owners, the upper class of Roman society, who
  approve budgets and suggest laws

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• System of Government
• Members of the senate are elected from a series
  of lower assemblies who are responsible for
  enacting the laws suggesting by the senate and
  also implementing them
• The judicial branch consist of 6 judges who were
  elected every two years, who decide punishment
  for criminals
• During the imperial period, the Consuls were
  replaced by Emperors who wielded a lot of power

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Roman Architecture
• The Environment around Rome was not as rich as
  the Greek mainland in construction material
  especially marble
• Romans construction material consists of Stone,
  principally local travertine and timber
• Roman also invented a system of firing brick and
  used brick widely in construction
• Romans were also the first people to discover
  concrete Roman concrete is different from our
  present day concrete
• Romans made significant improvements to the arch
  to address its shortcoming

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Roman Architecture
• They also developed new construction systems
  based on the arch and dome
• The combination of arch and vault construction
  with brick as formwork and concrete as bonding
  material enabled the Romans to construct great
  buildings with very large interior spaces
• Roman construction also developed the system of
  wooden truss construction
• The architecture of Rome has its origin in
  Hellenistic Greek Architecture and the
  architecture of the Etruscans
• Most Roman architects were either of Greek origin
  or Greek trained

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Roman Architecture
• The Romans adopted the external language of
  classical Greek architecture
• In Roman architecture, the orders survived simply
  as ornaments applied to great concrete buildings.
  
• But the Romans also made unique additions to the
  orders that are very important.
• New orders evolved and were added to the Greek
  orders to form the classical language of
  architecture
• Romans also made additions in the entablature of
  temples, in the scale of buildings and the
  proportion of the entire design.
• While the Greeks are said to be the inventors of
  form, Roman architecture concentrated on the
  creation of space

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Roman Architecture
• The Greek and Roman architecture are referred to
  as classical architecture
• The first book on architecture was produced by
  Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in 100 A.D.
• The ten books of architecture written sets down
  rules and procedures for creating architecture of
  value
• The genius of Roman architecture was expressed
  not in the design of a particular building, but
  in the production of a vast number of various
  building types
• Roman buildings include bathhouses for bathing,
  circuses for racing, amphitheatres for
  gladiatorial contest, temples for religion, domus
  for family life and the forum as the center of
  public life and national commerce

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Historical Background Social Characteristics
Beliefs

• Other Achievements
• Other contributions of the Romans include the
  Roman alphabets which is widely used in Western
  and Central European languages and the Roman
  numerals
• The Roman also introduced the calendar which even
  thought it has changed several times before
  assuming its current form has endured to the
  present day
• The influence of the Roman Empire's is visible in
  the government, law, and monumental architecture,
  as well as many other aspects of Western life
• The various contributions of the Roman
  civilization to modern life has resulted in its
  classification along with the Greek civilization
  as Classical civilizations

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End of Module 7 Lecture 22
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Module 7 Lecture 23Roman Architecture
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Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 23
• Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Influences- The Etruscans
• Engineering Innovation and achievements
• Roman Buildings
• Theaters
• Amphitheater- Coliseum

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Architecture of the Civilization
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Roman Architecture Early Influences- The
Etruscans

• The Earliest civilization in the region around
  Rome were the Etruscans
• The Etruscan civilization existed in the northern
  part of what is now Italy, prior to the formation
  of the Roman Republic.
• During the 700s BC, the Etruscans developed into
  a series of autonomous city-states Rome was a
  part of these city states
• Knowledge about the Etruscans is fragmentary, and
  usually filtered through Roman eyes
• The Etruscans created the first visible
  civilization in Italy.
• They brought sophisticated Eastern and Greek
  culture to the region.

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Roman Architecture Early Influences- The
Etruscans

• Not much has survived of Etruscan buildings to
  the present however.
• The temple shown in the image is a reconstruction
  of a typical Etruscan temple
• The Etruscans introduced another order of
  architecture
• This order, known as the Tuscan order became
  popular with the Romans

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Roman Architecture Early Influences- The
Etruscans

• The Tuscan order had a simpler base and the shaft
  was without flutes
• The capital and entablature were also without
  decoration
• In proportion it is similar to the Doric order
  with a column that is seven diameters high
• Compared with the other orders, the Tuscan order
  looks the most solid

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Engineering Achievement Introduction

• Romans created what can be referred to as a
  structural revolution
• This revolution centers on their understanding
  and use of the arch and vault
• They also discovered the groin vault
• Because of this structural revolution, they were
  able to span large openings in buildings and
  other structures with economy and strength
• They were also able to design and construct
  buildings with large interior spaces
• The revolution also allowed the Romans to
  construct large engineering structures such as
  bridges to connect all parts of their empire, and
  aqueduct to supply water to their cities

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Engineering Achievement Structural Innovation-
Arches

• The arch was not a new building form, as it had
  been known by other civilizations including the
  Egyptians and the Greeks
• But the Romans used it to its fullest potential
• The arch is an organic structure with the
  elements of the arch resting on each other and
  transferring load to the column
• It was particularly useful over doors and openings

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Engineering Achievement Structural Innovation-
Arches

• With an arch, there are no tensile stresses as
  all the forces are in compression and building
  stone has enormous compressive strength
• Up to a certain point also, the more an arch is
  loaded the stronger it becomes
• Arches were used over doors and openings and
  sometimes, they are built over a lintel to
  deflect the load to the surrounding walls.

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Engineering Achievement Vaults

• Vaults are used to cover an area as a roof
• The simplest of the vaults is the Barrel vault,
  which is just made up of an arch extended over a
  certain distance
• It can be adapted to suit different types of
  plans by making simple modifications to it
• The disadvantage of the vault is that it exerts a
  continuous load and therefore needs some form of
  continuous support
• It is also difficult to light the space under a
  vault except from the ends
• The Romans invented unique ways of overcoming
  these difficulties

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Engineering Achievement Vaults

• The cross vault was created from the barrel vault
  to overcome some of the problems of the ordinary
  vault
• This is formed by intersecting two barrel-vaults
  at right angle and is called a groin vault
• The weight of the groin vault is concentrated at
  the corners eliminating the need for continuous
  support
• The opening of the space in 4 directions means
  that ample light can be provided to the area
  below it

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Engineering Achievement Vaults

• The image shows an example of the use of arches,
  vaults and groin vaults in a Roman building
• The major limitation of the groin vault is that
  it is limited to a square plan
• The dome was another structure that was used in
  roman architecture.
• The Romans used the true dome with its fully
  rounded perfection

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Engineering Achievement Concrete

• The Romans were the first to develop concrete
• The concrete developed by the Romans is different
  from modern concrete and is made up of lime, sand
  and water
• Around the 2nd century BC, Pozzolana or volcanic
  ash was also added
• Concrete did away with the need for stone
  quarries
• It also did away with the need for the shaping
  and transportation of stone and for high skilled
  labor for stonemasonry

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Engineering Achievement Concrete

• Concrete has the advantage that it can be cast in
  any shape and in far larger sizes than the
  megalithic blocks of stone used in buildings
• With concrete, it was possible to construct
  monolithic vaults and arches
• Concrete buildings were normally faced with other
  materials to hide the ugly look of the concrete.
• Fired brick used as formwork was the most popular
  covering material

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Engineering Structures Introduction

• The structural revolution introduced by the
  Romans enabled them to introduce a variety of new
  civil structures and building programs never seen
  before their time
• The ability of the Romans to create large
  structures enabled them to build significant
  civil structures including aqueducts, bridges and
  sewers
• The Romans lived principally in cities and
  generally cities need a steady supply of fresh
  water
• Rome itself was projected to have a population of
  more than a million at the peak of its power

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Engineering Structures Introduction

• Arcuated structures or Structures built with
  arches played a major role in bringing this water
  to the city
• The technique of arcuated construction was also
  applied to the construction of bridges
• Rome also had a sanitary system to take away
  waste water from the city and large warehouses to
  service the needs of its port

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Engineering Structures Road and Bridges

• The Trojans Bridge Alexandria is an example of
  ancient Roman structural achievement
• It is also amongst the most impressive of the
  surviving Roman bridges
• The bridge consist of tall piers and wide
  spanning arches
• The central arches are slightly above 27 meters
  in length
• The roadway is carried 48 meters above the River
• A commemorative arch stands at the center of the
  Bridge the commemorative arch bears the name of
  the architect of the bridge

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Engineering Structures Aqueducts

• Aqueducts were used to supply water to Roman
  cities
• The Pont Du Gard is probably the most magnificent
  of the Roman aqueducts
• It was constructed around 50 A.D. to supply water
  to the city of Nimes
• The Aqueduct in some places is almost 50 meters
  above the deep valley of the River Gard

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Engineering Structures Aqueducts

• It was constructed of 3 tiers of arches

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Engineering Structures Aqueducts

• The Aqua Claudia is also another example of Roman
  aqueduct
• The Aqua Claudia was one of the eleven aqueducts
  that supplied Rome with water
• The aqueduct supplies water to Rome over a
  distance of 66 kilometers

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Roman Buildings Introduction

• The focus of Roman building design was on
  functional spaces
• The Roman people demanded buildings of various
  functions from the Roman architect
• The architects were able to respond, creating
  buildings that answer to their functional
  requirement by providing appropriate interior
  spaces
• The buildings types include theaters,
  amphitheaters, basilicas, circuses, basilicas,
  temples and baths
• All of these buildings were erected within the
  dense fabric of the city
• We will examine each of these building types

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Roman Buildings Theaters

• The Romans adopted the Greek theater transforming
  it into something Roman
• There was an expansion of the stage and the whole
  theater was contained within a high-unbroken wall
• The Greek Theater was blended into the landscape
• In contrast, the Roman Theater was an urban form
  located in a flat city
• The structure of the theater consists of massive
  structural arcades on piers

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Roman Buildings Theaters

• A purely cosmetic layer of trabeation was added
  to the front
• The trabeation was of the Greek orders and gave
  scale to the building
• It also creates a rhythm of solids and voids on
  the elevation
• The three orders of Greek architecture were used
  on the theater elevation
• Theaters were built in every Roman City

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Roman Buildings Theaters

• The Theater was used for acting and drama
• The Theater Marcellus constructed between 23 to
  13 B.C. was the first theater constructed in the
  capital Rome
• It is a good example of a Roman theater
• Access to its banked seat is from the rear,
  providing access circumferentially
• A stage runs from end to end in front
• The stage is enclosed by a tall wall

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Roman Buildings Amphitheater-Introduction

• The amphitheater is a roman structure with no
  Greek equivalent
• Amphitheatre is a public building used for
  spectator sports, games and displays
• Apart from function, the important outward
  distinction between an amphitheatre and a theatre
  is that amphitheatre is round or oval in shape
• An amphitheater was first built in Pompeii in 80
  BC, but the best example of the Roman
  amphitheater is the colosseum

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• The Colosseum is an amphitheater in Rome
• Its construction began under the Emperor
  Vespasian in 72 A.D. and was completed in A. D.
  80
• It was used for spectator sports including
  gladiatorial combat
• It is said that 9,000 wild animals were killed in
  the one hundred inaugural days celebrating its
  opening
• The Colosseum hosted large-scale spectacular
  games that included fights between animals, the
  killing of prisoners by animals and other
  executions, naval battles via flooding the arena,
  and combats between gladiators

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• It has been estimated that about 500,000 people
  died in the Colosseum games
• The colosseum is elliptical in shape
• It measured 48 metres high, 188 metres long, and
  156 metres wide
• The wooden arena floor was 86 metres by 54
  metres, and covered by sand
• The colosseum had a seating capacity for 50,000
  spectators

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• The Colosseum was ingeniously designed most
  spectacle venues have been influenced by the
  Colosseum's structure into modern times
• The seating formed a uniform elliptical ring
  capable of supporting the 50,000 spectator
  capacity of the facility
• The substructure of the amphitheater is very much
  like that of the theater
• Vaulting was used both radially and
  concentrically to support the structure

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• The Colosseum also had a passageway that opens
  into a tier of seats from below or behind
• Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each
  staircase
• The passages quickly dispersed people into their
  seats and upon conclusion of the event disgorged
  them with abruptness into the surrounding streets
• Seating was divided into different sections
• Above the podium was the maenianum primum, for
  the other Roman aristocrats who were not in the
  senate
• The third level, the maenianum secundum, was
  divided into three sections
• The lower part, the was for wealthy citizens,
  while the upper part was for poor citizens
• A third, wooden section was a wooden structure at
  the very top of the building, added by Domitian

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• The most ingenious part of the Colosseum was its
  cooling system
• It was roofed using a canvas covered net-like
  structure made of ropes, with a hole in the
  center
• The Arena where the action takes place is located
  at the center of the ellipse
• Underneath the arena was the "underground", a
  network of tunnels and cages where gladiators and
  animals were held before contests began

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Amphitheater Coliseum, Rome

• The arena floor no longer exists, and the
  hypogeum walls and corridors are clearly visible
  in the ruins of the building
• The orders were used in the elevation in the same
  manner as on the theater
• The Colosseum was in continuous use until 217,
  when it was damaged by fire from lightning
• It was restored in 238 and gladiatorial games
  continued until Christianity gradually put an end
  to some sports

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End of Module 7 Lecture 23
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Module 7 Lecture 24Roman Architecture
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Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 24
• Roman Buildings
• Circuses
• Bath
• Temples
• Basilica
• Residential Buildings
• Other Elements
• Triumphal Arches

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Roman Buildings Circuses

• The Romans developed circuses or stadium for
  horse and chariot racing
• Every city usually had one located close to the
  forum
• The circuses had stalls at one end where the
  chariots emerge at the beginning of the race and
  a track which they race around
• The structure of the circus is very similar to
  that of theaters and amphitheaters
• Circus Maxima is an example of a Roman Circus

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Circuses Circuse Maxentius

• It is located in Rome and is one of the oldest
• It went through a series of transformation over
  the period of its existence
• The image shown is its final form around 400 A.D.
• Its is 600 meters in length by 200 meters in
  width
• The circus had 3 tiers of seat, and there are
  stalls for 12 race houses or chariots
• Each race was of 7 laps covering a distance of
  about 3.6 kilometers

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Roman Buildings Bath

• The Romans had a unique need for exercise,
  bathing and relaxation and they devised a unique
  architectural element, the Bath to address that
  need
• The roman bath was more that just merely swimming
  or washing
• This practice became so popular that at some
  point, they took it more serious than their gods
• It was a daily practice of almost all Romans to
  go to a Bath once a day to relieve stress

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Roman Buildings Bath

• The bathing procedure involves a pattern of
  exposing the body to various levels of heater air
  and water
• The core program of the bath consist of a
  disrobing room, the apodyterium, a series of at
  least two heated rooms, the tepidarium, and a hot
  room or cauldarium
• Besides the heated rooms, the bath may also have
  a swimming pool, or natatio for cold plunges on
  hot summer days or a cool unheated room called
  the frigidarium
• Bathing also dries the skin so baths also
  provided rooms with special attendants to oil and
  towel bathers dry
• Wealthy people and Emperors had private both, but
  the greatest baths were the public ones built for
  the populace

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Roman Bath Bath of Caracalla

• The bath of caracalla is a good example of a
  Roman bath and among the best preserved
• The bath is set free standing within a square
  precinct enclosed by walls
• The precinct has a water reservoir to the south,
  supplied by an aqueduct to service its water need

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Roman Bath Bath of Caracalla

• The reservoir is located beneath a stadium used
  for athletic contest
• The east and west walls have a curved exedra that
  defines space for cultural activities such as
  library, music performance, philosophical
  lectures, etc
• The front wall has a series of shops with the
  entrance at the center

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Roman Bath Bath of Caracalla

• The main bath building is rectangular, 225 meters
  by 115 meters and is situated within the walled
  precinct
• It has a perfect bilateral symmetry along its
  north-south axis
• The bath has a large dressing hall, apodyterium
  at the center of the building

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Roman Bath Bath of Caracalla

• A swimming pool or Notato is located to the north
  of it, while a tepidarium and a domed circular
  cauldarium is located to the south of it, where
  it is more sunny
• A series of supplementary rooms, including
  Gymnasium and bathroom suits are arranged
  symmetrically on two sides of the building
• The structure of the bath of carracalla is made
  up of vaults, arches, groin vaults and domes
• The interior also shows how the Romans have been
  able to adapt the Greek orders and treatment to
  arch and vault construction

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Roman Buildings Temples

• Temples were a significant part of roman
  architecture
• Scores of temple were built during every period
• Most of the roman temples were combination of
  Etruscan and Greek prototypes
• The typical temple had an axial plan, an entrance
  porch with widely space columns in front
• The temple also had a cella or sanctuary
• The whole temple is raised on a high podium with
  frontal steps providing access
• A good example of the early form of the temple is
  seen in Maison Carree in Nimes
• The best preserved of the temples and the one
  showing the highest achievement in temple
  architecture is the Pantheon

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Roman Temples Maison Caree, Nimes

• Maison Carree is located in Nimes France
• It was built by the Emperor Agrippa
• The temple shows Greek influence on early roman
  temples
• The temple is 26.5 meters long, 15.5 meters wide
  and raised on a podium 3.3 meters high
• It is a temple with 6 Corinthian columns in
  front, 10 diameters high

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Roman Temples Maison Caree, Nimes

• Its podium is three and half times the height of
  the entablature with 15 access steps in front
• It has an entrance porch that is 3 columns deep
• The temple has a cella that is one and half times
  long as its wide

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Roman Temples Maison Caree, Nimes

• The walls of the cella have attached half
  Corinthian columns on its visible three sides

76
Roman Temples Pantheon

• The Pantheon is the best surviving of all
  classical buildings
• It is also represents the highest achievement of
  Roman architecture
• It was built between AD 118 and 128 by the
  Emperor Handrian on the site of an earlier temple
  by Agrippa
• It was built as a temple dedicated to all the
  Roman Gods, hence the name Pantheon

77
Roman Temples Pantheon

• The Pantheon essentially consist of two parts
  the an entrance portico and a circular part or
  rotunda
• The portico is 8 columns wide and 3 columns deep
  and leads to the entrance of the temple
• The columns are of unfluted Corinthian order
• The wall of the rotunda is 3 storeys high on the
  outside they are made up of brick faced concrete
  and support the dome roof of the temple

78
Roman Temples Pantheon

• The interior has eight large niches with one
  serving as the entrance and the remaining seven
  used dedicated to the seven major Roman Gods
• The Dome roof forms a perfect sphere with a
  diameter of 142 feet in the interior

79
Roman Temples Pantheon

• At the head of the dome is a 30ft wide occulus,
  that opens up the great dome to the outside and
  illuminates the space with light
• The interior was built of Egyptian granites,
  African colored marbles and pure white marbles
  from the Aegean
• The Pantheon combines scale, boldness and mastery
  of every architectural art.

80
Roman Buildings Basilica

• Basilicas are among the most important categories
  of roman architecture
• There were no basilicas before the Roman era
• The basilica are rectangular and usually
  contained interior colonnades that divided the
  space into aisles at one or both sides, with an
  apse at one end
• The central aisle tended to be wide and was
  higher than the flanking aisles, so that light
  could penetrate through the clerestory windows
• The function of the basilica is close to that of
  the Greek stoa

81
Roman Buildings Basilica

• It is also the place where magistrates to hold
  court to dispose of legal matters
• The oldest known basilica, the Basilica Porcia,
  was built in Rome in 184 BC
• The most splendid Roman basilica is the one
  constructed for traditional purposes during the
  reign of the pagan emperor Maxentius and finished
  by Constantine after 313
• In the early Imperial period, a basilica for
  large audiences also became a feature of the
  palaces
• We will examine the Basilica Ulpia and the
  Basilica Maxentius

82
Roman Buildings Basilica Ulpia

• The Basilica Ulpia was built by Emperor Trajan in
  the period A.D 98-117 for his imperial forum
• Basilica Ulpia stretches for 120 meters in length
  over the width of the Trajan forum
• The Basilica consists of a central hall, 25
  meters wide surrounded on all sides by double
  colonnades
• The Basilica had two semi-circular apses at its
  two ends

83
Roman Buildings Basilica Ulpia

• The walls of the Basilica were finished with
  multi-colored marble also referred to as
  polychromatic marble
• The whole structure was covered with a truss roof
• Basilica Ulpia represent the generic form of the
  Roman Basilica,
• It is this form that will later be adopted by the
  Christians for their church

84
Roman Buildings Basilica Maxentius

• The Basilica Maxentius was started by the Emperor
  Maxentius in A.D. 308 but was completed by the
  Emperor Constantine in A.D. 312
• It is also sometimes referred to as Basilica of
  Constantine
• It is one of the impressive buildings of the
  Forum Romanum
• The Basilica Maxentius is different from other
  tradition basilicas, because its design was
  derived from the central halls of imperial Roman
  Baths

85
Roman Buildings Basilica Maxentius

• It is however larger in scale than any of the
  baths that was built
• The ground plan covers 100 meters by 65 meters
• The building is divided into a central nave and
  side isles
• The central nave was 80 by 25 meters and was
  covered by 3 groin vaults with a maximum height
  of 35 meters
• The side isles were 16 meters wide, divided into
  three sections
• There is very little that is left of the Basilica
  now

86
Roman Buildings Residential Buildings

• Roman cities had a range of various types of
  private dwellings
• The private dwellings reflected the rank and
  wealth of the inhabitants
• At the lowest level are the multi-story tenements
  where a large proportion of the population stayed
• They consisted of shops on the ground floor and
  apartments on the upper floors
• The apartments were built around a courtyard for
  light and air

87
Roman Buildings Residential Buildings

• The common roman house was the domus
• These were reserved for the more well off members
  of the Roman society
• The domus was essentially a courtyard house, with
  a peristyle colonnaded courtyard
• It had few or no windows to the outside

88
Residential Buildings Domus Augustana

• At the high end are elaborate palaces and villas
  for the very rich
• The Domus Augustana, also called flavians
  palace, is an example of the high-end residential
  palaces
• Domus Augustana was both a house for the emperor
  as well as his palace for official functions

89
Residential Buildings Domus Augustana

• It was laid out around two peristyle atriums
• The atrium to the left is for state function
• Entry is from an inconspicuous door from the top
• The residential part of the palace is arranged
  around the courtyard located to the right
• To the right of the residential part is a sunken
  garden in the form of a stadium
• This is the private garden of the emperor, where
  he can interact with nature

90
Residential Buildings Handrians Villa

• Romans also built country villas or houses, where
  they could go to be close to nature
• A very good example of the country villas, is the
  Handrians villa built for the Emperor Handrian
• The Handrian villa displays an example of the
  level of wealth displayed in buildings
• This was a large country estate spread on a vast
  terrain

91
Residential Buildings Handrians Villa

• The structure was made of a loose arrangement of
  peristyle halls, fountains, dining halls,
  dormitories, baths, libraries and other
  facilities
• The most characteristics feature of the villa is
  the play of curves and curved form
• This is most evident in the Canopus
• This is an elongated pool surrounded by a
  colonnade
• The colonnade is topped by alternating straight
  entablature and segmental arch sections framing
  statuary

92
Other Architectural Elements Triumphal Arches

• Other Than buildings, ancient Romans also
  contributed to the development of several
  architectural elements
• The most prominent of the elements is the
  triumphal arch
• A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a
  monumental gate, usually built to celebrate a
  victory in war
• They are almost always built in the Form, framing
  the paths that people follow
• Romans started it as a way to celebrate their
  victories in battles

93
Other Architectural Elements Triumphal Arches

• Some triumphal arches are made of stone and
  intended to be permanent.
• A number of arches from the city's imperial era
  can still be seen in modern Rome.
• Temporary triumphal arches were also constructed
  for use for celebratory parades or ceremony and
  later dismantled
• A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and
  religious rite held to publicly honour the
  military commander of a notably successful
  foreign war
• Only men of senatorial or consular rank could
  perform a triumph celebration and be a
  triumphator as the victorious generals are known

94
Other Architectural Elements Triumphal Arches

• The ceremony consisted of a spectacular parade,
  opened by the chiefs of conquered peoples who are
  afterward executed
• The triumphator rode on a biga, a chariot pulled
  by two white horses
• The parade followed a precise route in the
  streets of Rome
• It traveled along the Forum until it reached the
  Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, where the
  laurels of victory were offered to the god.
• Monuments may then be erected to celebrate the
  triumph
• Two examples of such monuments in the republican
  forum are the Arch of Titus and the Arch of
  Constantine

95
Triumphal Arches Arch of Constantine

• The arch was built in A.D. 81 and dedicated to
  the emperor Titus
• It was built to commemorate the military victory
  over Jerusalem in A.D. 70
• The arch has a height of 15.4 meters, a width of
  13.5 meters and was constructed of stone
• The marvel of its stone construction is evident
  in the keystone, which ensures the stability of
  the arch

96
Triumphal Arches Arch of Constantine

• It has a single opening flanked on each side by
  attached columns of the Composite order
• The composite order has a capital that joins the
  acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order with the
  volutes of the ionic order
• The face of the arch is decorated with sculptural
  relief depicting the destruction of the temple in
  Jerusalem

97
Triumphal Arches Arch of Constantine

• The arch of Constantine was built much later that
  than of Titus
• It was built to commemorate the victory of
  Emperor Constantine over Maxentius in A.D. 312
• Its form shows an attempt to create an arch more
  majestic than that of Titus

98
Triumphal Arches Arch of Constantine

• It has three arched openings, a larger one in the
  center flanked by two smaller ones
• There are four free standing columns in front
  framing the arched openings
• It is also abundantly decorated, depicting the
  victory in relief sculpture

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End of Module 7 Lecture 24
100
Module 7 Lecture 25Roman Architecture
101
Outline of Lecture

• Lecture 25
• Roman City Planning and Design
• Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

102
Roman City Planning Design Principles

• Roman cities fall into two broad categories
• Majority grew in an unplanned manner over the
  centuries forming complex organic entities, to
  which sometimes order was introduced
• Rome is a good example

103
Roman City Planning Design Principles

• The other category consist of Castrum type
  cities, a type of military camp developed with an
  inflexible regularity of shape-
• A well preserved example is the city of Timgad in
  North Africa
• This was a city laid out by Trajan in A.D. 100 as
  a colony for military veterans
• The town was laid in a grid of 12 blocks within a
  square 1,200 feet wide

104
Roman City Planning Design Principles

• The planning of most cities fall in between the
  two extremes of organic growth and rigid grid
  planning
• All cities had a forum, theater, bath, market
  etc.
• Many of the cities contained buildings that were
  copies or local versions of key monuments in Rome
• Focus in city design is on integrating civic
  buildings with public spaces and residential
  neighborhoods
• Each public building had interior spaces that
  responded to functional requirement with the
  spaces also linked and connected with the public
  spaces of the city
• The Forum was the center of the Roman city

105
Roman City Planning Design Forum

• The forum was the descendant of the Greek agora
  for the Romans
• It began as a market place
• It rapidly became the commercial, political and
  ceremonial center of the civilization
• In the process it developed into an elaborate
  architectural space that became a part of all
  roman cities
• Unlike the Greek agora which is informal in plan,
  and whose buildings are subordinate to the space,
  in the roman forum, the organization is more
  formal
• The buildings surrounding it are normally large
  and dominate the space
• Buildings commonly found in the forum include
  temples, basilicas, and bath

106
Roman City Planning Design Forum

• Each individual major building in the forum was
  given a central inside space
• Governmental function were usually arranged on
  the West End religious ceremonies were
  celebrated at the east end
• The inside space of buildings was connected to
  one or more exterior space of the city
• Columns, statues and triumphal arches were
  erected as a memorial to the conquering rulers
  and to the glories of the empire
• No two roman forums are really alike, as there
  are always differences between the forums in
  different cities
• In Rome with its two forums, we find a good
  example of the Roman forums

107
Roman City Planning Design Republiclan Forum

• The Republican Forum is also called the Forum
  Romanum
• It was the oldest and most important forum in the
  city
• Soon it became an important market place
• By the 5th Century B.C. the various functions
  associated with the forum began to assume their
  architectural shape

108
Roman City Planning Design Republican Forum

• Additions, modification and growth by successive
  republicans and emperors led to its development
• By 400 A.D. the forum had accumulated not less
  than 10 temples, 4 basilicas, 4 triumphal arches
  and many other monuments and shrines
• All of these were arranged with no preordained
  order
• The buildings therefore loosely define the space
  of the forum

109
Roman City Planning Design Imperial Forum

• During the reign of Julius Ceasar, he attempted
  to reorganize the Republican forum but realized
  that it had become too congested for rational
  order
• He therefore decided to build a new forum
  adjacent to but outside the republican forum
• This idea was picked by successive emperors, who
  added to it to create the imperial forum

110
Roman City Planning Design Imperial Forum

• The imperial forum is not one forum, but five
  forums with each supporting the other
• There was variety in their form, but they
  displayed rational order in their organization
• Each of the forum consisted of colonnaded atrium
  with a temple at its head
• Of the five temples that of Trojan was most
  majestic, with the basilica Ulpia sitting across
  it and two libraries on either side of the
  central court

111
Roman City Planning Design Architecture and
Urban Design in Rome

• In Rome we find the best example of both Roman
  architecture and city design
• The image shows a reconstruction module of a part
  of Rome at the height of its development
• From the image, the organic growth of the city is
  evident and is reflected in the fabric of the
  city
• Buildings are densely packed together, separated
  by a network of narrow pathways

112
Roman City Planning Design Architecture and
Urban Design in Rome

• Within the fabric, all the Roman building types
  can be identified
• These include The circus Maxentius, The Domus
  Augustana, Roman Theater, An Aqueduct, A Roman
  Temple, The Basilica Maxentius, and The
  Republican and Imperial Forums
• From the image, the clustering of important
  buildings close to the forum is highly evident

113
Architectural Characteristics
114
Buildings Other Arch Elements
115
Buildings Other Arch. Elements Building Types

• The genius of the roman architect was not in the
  design of a particular building
• Rather, it is in the way they were able to meet
  the needs of a complex society for different
  building types for a thousand years
• They produced a wide range of buildings that had
  never been built before
• Roman buildings included bathhouses for bathing,
  circuses for races, amphitheaters for
  gladiatorial contest, temples for religion, domus
  for family life and the forum as the center of
  public life
• Roman architects design the buildings with
  interior spaces configured for specialized
  activities
• The Greek order was reduced to a decorative
  element rather than as a form generator in Greek
  Architecture

116
Buildings Other Arch. Elements Engineering
Structures

• Romans also contributed several engineering and
  architectural objects to human civilization
• The most prominent engineering contributions are
  in road and bridge structures and in the
  construction of aqueducts
• Road and bridge construction allowed the Romans
  to connect the various parts of their empire
• Aqueducts allowed them to supply their cities
  with water

117
Buildings Other Arch. Elements The Orders

• Romans also contributed to the development of the
  orders
• They made the Tuscan order developed by the
  Etruscan very popular in use
• They developed the composite order, which
  combines Corinthian and Ionic capitals
• They developed the giant order which spans up to
  two storey and the miniature order used to
  decorate windows
• The Romans also contributed in the development of
  the Triumphal arches
• Triumphal arches were constructed in Roman cities
  to celebrate victories in battles

118
Materials, Const. Tech.
119
Materials, Construction Tech. Materials

• The choice of building materials contributed to
  the success of Roman architecture.
• Roman building materials were very diverse and
  rich
• Materials that were not available locally could
  usually be imported from other Roman colonies
• Roman building materials included stone, marble,
  brick, and timber
• The art of producing fired brick was a Roman
  invention
• Romans also invented concrete
• The combination of concrete and brick formwork
  enabled Roman architects to design and vast
  buildings for different uses

120
Materials, Construction Tech. Construction

• The Roman Civilization had the most innovative
  construction system of the civilizations so far
  studied
• Roman architects understood the underlying
  principles of arch and vault construction and
  were able to innovate to address their
  shortcomings
• The combination of arch and vault construction
  with concrete and fire brick formwork provided
  the Romans with the technology to achieve their
  architectural dreams
• No previous civilization had an architecture that
  involved the manipulation of space like that of
  the Romans

121
Materials, Construction Tech. Construction

• In fact, roman architecture was essentially space
  shaped by vaults, and walls for the purpose of
  ordered activities
• In terms of building technology, the contribution
  of the Romans includes the development of the
  arch and barrel vault on freestanding piers.
• Romans also introduced the use of timber trusses
  in roofing
• In the Pantheon, we find Roman construction
  technology at the height of its application

122
Materials, Construction Tech. Technology

• The greatest contribution of the Romans in
  Building services and technology is in the aspect
  of water
• The development of the aqueduct enabled ancient
  Romans to supply water to their cities
• Rome at the height of its development had to
  supply water to meet the needs of its one million
  inhabitants
• Along with water supply, the Romans developed a
  system of waste water collection and disposal
• Sanitary sewers were used to collect waste water
  that is channeled outside the city for disposal

123
Principles of Arch. Organization
124
Principles of Arch. Organization Principles

• Three forces appear to shape the direction and
  form of Roman architecture
• Function
• Construction Technology
• Adaptation to new ideas and knowledge

125
Principles of Arch. Organization Function

• The principal organizing principle of Roman
  buildings is function
• Function is evident in the emphasis on spaces
• Almost all Roman buildings provided spaces for
  functional use
• Roman architecture also de-emphasized the
  rigidness in the use of the Greek orders
• They transformed the orders from a determinant of
  building form to decoration on gigantic buildings

126
Principles of Arch. Organization Construction
Technology

• Understanding Roman buildings also requires
  understanding their construction technology
• Development in construction technology freed the
  Romans from any creative limitations
• They were therefore able to experiment, in the
  process creating new building types and form and
  also pushing the limits of structural
  possibilities
• Construction technology also allowed Roman
  architects to produce buildings with vast
  interior spaces
• Construction technology enabled Romans to
  transform the orders from structural elements to
  mere decorative ones

127
Principles of Arch. Organization Adaptation to
New Ideas and Knowledge

• Roman architecture can also only be understood by
  understanding the Roman attitude to innovation
• Romans were constantly in contact with different
  people and places
• As they come into contact the different people
  and places, they are also exposed to different
  ideas and ways of doing things
• Roman people were always willing to lean new
  ideas and knowledge and adapt these for their use

128
Principles of Arch. Organization Adaptation to
New Ideas and Knowledge

• Such adaptation allowed them to assimilate ideas
  from different places, including the Greeks, the
  Egyptians and the Carthaginians
• But when Roman people learn new ideas and
  knowledge, they were also able to adapt them and
  create ideas that were uniquely Roman
• It is this will to learn and adapt that led to
  their innovative social life and to the evolution
  of Roman architecture

129
End of Module 7 Lecture 25