nauka: Ancient Roman and Byzantine domes

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

Domes were a characteristic element of the architecture of Ancient Rome and of its medieval continuation, the Byzantine Empire. They had widespread influence on contemporary and later styles, from Russian and Ottoman architecture to the Italian Renaissance and modern revivals. The domes were customarily hemispherical, although octagonal and segmented shapes are also known, and they developed in form, use, and structure over the centuries. Early examples rested directly on the rotunda walls of round rooms and featured a central oculus for ventilation and light. Pendentives became common in the Byzantine period, provided support for domes over square spaces. Early wooden domes are known only…

Evidence: 27 • authority: 80

The largest pre-stressed concrete Dome in the world – the case study of “Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair“

Evidence: 27 • authority: 72

A dome (from Latin domus) is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a matter of controversy and there are a wide variety of forms and specialized terms to describe them. A dome can rest directly upon a rotunda wall, a drum, or a system of squinches or pendentives used to accommodate the transition in shape from a rectangular or square space to the round or polygonal base of the dome. The dome's apex may be closed or may be open in the form of an oculus, which may itself be covered with a roof lantern and…

Evidence: 20 • authority: 72

Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered one body of classical architecture. Roman architecture flourished in the Roman Republic and to an even greater extent under the Empire, when the great majority of surviving buildings were constructed. It used new materials, particularly Roman concrete, and newer technologies such as the arch and the dome to make buildings that were typically strong and well engineered. Large numbers remain in some form across the former empire, sometimes complete…

Evidence: — • authority: 88

A Pantheon for Horses: The Prince Regent’s Dome and Stables at Brighton. Domed rotundas have fascinated and challenged architects and engineers for the last two millennia. Examples can be found throughout the world, most commonly in religious and commemorative buildings, but also in the palaces and bath complexes of ancient Rome and in more recent government and legislative buildings. In modern times technological advances have allowed new and increasingly ambitious kinds of rotunda to be built — markets and exchanges, greenhouses and conservatories, concert and exhibition halls, sports arenas. The roots of this latter development lie in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Hadrian's Villa (Italian: Villa Adriana; Latin: Villa Hadriana) was a monumental villa or palace complex built around AD 120 by emperor Hadrian (r.117–138) near Tivoli, about 20 km from Rome. Its remains are now included in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most imposing and complex Roman villas known. The complex contains over 30 monumental and scenic buildings arranged on a series of artificial esplanades at different heights and surrounded by gardens decorated with water basins and nymphaea (fountains). The whole complex covers an area of at least a square kilometre, an area larger than the city of Pompeii. In addition to the villa's impressive layout, many of the buildings…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Domes built in the 18th century by the Western world, broadly defined, benefited from the newly developed mathematics of calculus and the study of statics. There were numerous studies on the catenary curve as the most stable form for arches and vaults and the ideal shape for a dome was debated in the late 18th century. Calculus allowed Guarini's experimental designs with intersections of spheres, barrel vaults, and oval domes to be proven and they would become the foundation of Rococo spatial arrangements. In the areas of the Holy Roman Empire, rebuilding of the many palaces and churches destroyed in the Thirty Years' War had begun by the end of the seventeenth century. Ovals resolved the t…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Roman concrete, also called opus caementicium, was used in construction in ancient Rome. Like its modern equivalent, Roman concrete was based on a hydraulic-setting cement added to an aggregate. Many buildings and structures still standing today, such as bridges, reservoirs and aqueducts, were built with this material, which attests to both its versatility and its durability. It was previously thought that its strength was enhanced by the incorporation of pozzolanic ash where available (particularly in the Bay of Naples). The addition of ash prevented cracks from spreading. However, research in 2023 has shown that the incorporation of mixtures of different types of lime, forming conglomerat…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

Segmented domes made of radially concave wedges, or of alternating concave and flat wedges, appear under Hadrian in the 2nd century and most preserved examples of the style date from this period. The Pantheon in Rome was completed by Emperor Hadrian and the largest Roman dome. In the middle of the 2nd century, some of the largest domes were built near present-day Naples, as part of large bath complexes taking advantage of the volcanic hot springs in the area. At the bath complex at Baiae, there are remains of a collapsed dome spanning 26.3 meters (86 ft), called the "Temple of Venus", and a larger half-collapsed dome spanning 29.5 meters (97 ft) called the "Temple of Diana". The dome of the…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

A concrete shell, also commonly called thin shell concrete structure, is a structure composed of a relatively thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses. The shells are most commonly monolithic domes, but may also take the form of hyperbolic paraboloids, ellipsoids, cylindrical sections, or some combination thereof. The first concrete shell dates back to the 2nd century.

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The Pantheon (UK: , US: ; Latin: Pantheum, from Ancient Greek Πάνθειον (Pantheion) '[temple] of all the gods') is an ancient temple in Rome, Italy, originally built under emperor Augustus (27 BC–AD 14) and reconstructed under Hadrian (117–138); since AD 609, it is a Catholic church called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs (Italian: Basilica di Santa Maria ad Martyres). The current Pantheon was built on the site of an earlier temple, which had been commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. After the original burnt down, the present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated c. AD 126. Its date of construction is uncertain, because…