History of architecture | world architecture

• Italian peninsula: Central and commanding

position on Mediterranean sea
ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
2nd Century– 4th Century A. D. GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCE

• Chief building material was concrete

which rendered finest example of Roman
Architecture.
ROMULUS AND REMUS
• They also have ample supply of marbles,
Are the twin brothers and central characters of terra cotta, stone, bricks, sand, gravel &
Rome's foundation myth. Romulus wants to timber.
found the new city on the Palatine Hill; Remus
prefers the Aventine Hill. They agree to
determine the site through augury but when
each claims the results in his own favor, they
quarrel and Remus is killed. Romulus founds
the new city, names it Rome, after himself, and
creates its first legions and senate.

• Concrete was made up of stone or brick

rubble & a mortar of w/c the important
ingredient was pozzolana
• Stone or brick rubble with pozzolana, a
thick volcanic earth material as mortar
• Used for walls, vaults, domes
• Concrete allowed Romans to build vaults
of a magnitude never equaled until 19th
century steel construction

CLIMATIC INFLUENCE

• Rome was divided into 3 Regions; North;

GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE Central & South Italy because of this
variety of climatic conditions, there was a
• Rome has a commanding position in the
diversity of architectural features &
Mediterranean Sea, which enabled to act
treatment in the peninsula itself.
as an intermediary in spreading art and
• Temperate in the north
civilization over Europe Western Asia &
North Africa. There is a marked • Sunny in central Italy
geographical difference between Greeks • Almost tropical in south
and the Romans with regards to national
character, Romans were very close

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RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE • 334 – 264 BC, Rome conquered all of Italy

and established one of the strongest
• Religion became a part of the constitution empires in history
of the state. They venerated more their • Was centrally-located on the northern
emperors than their gods and because of Mediterranean
this attitude; there were fewer temples for • Not a sea-faring people
worship.
• Depended on conquest by land to extend
SOCIAL & POLITICAL INFLUENCE their power

Periods of development:

• Etruscan - notable for the use of the true &

radiating arch, they were the earliest
civilization & great builders, invented the
Tuscan capital, their temple were oriented
at the south.
• Roman– adopted the columnar & trabeated
style of the Greeks and developed the arch
vault, & dome of the Etruscans

• Developed constitutional republic

• Farmers and soldiers, concerned with
efficiency and justice
• For 500 years Rome was ruled by elected
leaders called consuls
• Succession of military dictatorships of
which Julius Caesar’s was most famous
• Empire reached its greatest size in 114 AD
under Emperor Trajan - 4000km wide and
60 million inhabitants
• Used natural frontiers such as mountain
ranges and rivers to define their empire
• Important Emperors who patronizes • Otherwise they built fortified walls, such as
architecture in Rome; Hadrian’s Wall in England
- Nero • Provinces run by governors
- Vespasian • Latin was the official language
- Trojan • Applied roman system of laws
- Hadrian • Was the intermediary in spreading art and
- Septimus Severus civilization in Europe, West Asia and North
- Caracalla Africa
- Diocletian

HISTORICAL INFLUENCE
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
• Many city-states on the Italian peninsula
• From 800 -300 BC, among all cities in Italy, • Vastness & Magnificence
Rome became the most powerful • Ostentation & Ornateness
• Romans use arch in structural innovation

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 History of architecture | world architecture

• Etruscans were great builders

• Large-scale undertakings, like city walls
and sewers
• Draining marshes, controlling rivers and
lakes by using channels
• Romans had great constructive ability
• Complex, of several stories
• Utilitarian, practical, economic use of
materials

DIFFERENT TYPES OF VAULTS

DEVELOPMENT BY THE ROMANS:

• Hemispherical Dome
- Used over circular structures

ROMAN CONCRETE WALLS

• Semi-circular/Wagon–headed/Barrel Vault
- Semi-circular or wagon-headed, borne on
two parallel walls throughout its length

• Mosaics - Thousands of small stones or

glass tiles set in mortar to form a pattern.
Showed pictures of roman life
• Opus Quadratum – made up of rectangular
blocks of stone with or w/ out mortar
joints but frequently secured with
dowels and cramps.
• Opus Incertum – made up of small stones
laid in a loose pattern roughly
assembling the polygonal work.
• Cross Vault/Groin Vault
• Opus Recticulatum – fine joints were in
- Formed by the intersection of two semi-
diagonal lines like the meshes of a net.
circular vaults of equal span - used over
• Opus Testaceum – triangular bricks (plan)
square apartment or bays
specially made for facing the walls.

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 History of architecture | world architecture

• Opus Mixtum – consisted of bands of ROMAN ARCHITECTURE EXAMPLES

“tufa” introduced at intervals in the
ordinary brick facing or alteration of
rectangular blocks with small • Forum – open space used as a meeting
squared stone blocks. place, market or rendezvous for political
demonstrations.
TWO COLUMN CAPITALS DEVELOPED
Examples:

- Forum Romanum, Rome – oldest & most

important used as Hippodrome.

• Composite – combination of Ionic &

Corinthian

- Forum of Trajan, Rome – largest.

• Rectangular Temples – used a Pseudo–

Peripteral (half columns attached to the
naos wall, raised in a “podium”, oriented
towards the south.

• Tuscan - counterpart of Doric capital

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 History of architecture | world architecture

• Circular & Polygonal Temples – derived Examples:

from the temples of the Greeks & the
Etruscans which became the prototype of
the Christian baptistery.

Examples:

- Trajan’s Basilica, Rome – built by

Apollodorus of Damascus
- Basilica of Constantine, Rome -also known
as Basilica of Maxentius or Basilica Nova.

- Temple of Vesta, Rome – the most sacred • Thermae–a luxurious public bath with
shrine & source of Roman life & power. main parts:

- The Pantheon, Rome – most famous &

perfect preservation of all ancient buildings
in Rome. It was now converted into a
Christian church named Sta. Maria
Rotonda.
- Tepidarium – warm room
• Basilicas – halls of justice or Assembly Hall.
- Calidarium – hot room, or with hot
water bath
- Frigidarium – cooling room
- Sudarium – dry sweating room
- Apodyteria – dressing room
- Palaestra - for physical exercise
- Unctuaria or untoria – place for oils &
perfumes
- Spaeresterium– game room

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 History of architecture | world architecture

- Xystus Or Public Park W/ Avenue Of

Trees – a large open space with trees,
statues & fountains, part of it was used
as a stadium for foot- racing & where
athletic sports took place. • Theaters or Odeion –Roman theaters were
built up by means of concrete vaulting,
- Outer Ring of Apartments supporting tiers of seats, it was restricted to
- Lecture rooms a semi-circle.
- Exedrae Examples:
- Collonade - Theater of Marcellus, Rome
- Large Reservoir - Theater Orange

Examples: • Amphitheaters or Colosseum – used for

gladiatorial combats, elliptical in plan.
- Thermae Caracalla, Rome – with a
capacity of 1,600 bathers
Example:
- Thermae of Diocletian Rome – largest
with capacity of 3,000 bathers
- Thermae of Titus, Rome
- Thermae of Grippa, Rome

• Balneum private bath in Roman palaces

and houses containing the following:
Tepidarium, Calidarium, Frigidarium

Example:

- Hadrian’s Villa Summer Bath

- The Colosseum, Rome – known as

“Flavian Amphitheater”, commenced by
Vespasian & completed by Domitian

• Triumphal Arches – erected to

commemorate victories campaign of
emperors and generals.

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 History of architecture | world architecture

Examples: - As an ornamental portals to forum or

market places.
- Arch built at main street intersection,
which were colonnaded.

Examples:

- Porte S. Andre, and the Porte d’

Arroux, Autun
- Porte De Mars, Rheims
- Portic of Octavia, Rome by Augustus

• Pillars Of Victory or Monumental

Columns –were erected to record triumphs
of victorious Generals (conquered by land).
- Arch of Titus, Rome
Example:

- Arch of Constantine, Rome

• Town Gateways and Archways

- Trajan Column - is a Roman Doric

Column, entirely of marble, w/ a total
height of 115 ft. 7 inches & a shaft 12
inches in diameter w/ a spiral staircase

• Rostral Columns - Rome frequently

erected in the time of the emperors to
celebrate naval victories, and took their
- As a protective wall & commemorative name from the rostra, or rows of captured
monument. ships.

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 History of architecture | world architecture

• The Domus or private house –center of

family apartments
• Palaces – use to house the Emperors.
Typical Parts of a Domus:
Examples:

- Palaces of the Emperors, Rome  

 

- Golden House of Nero, Rome - Prothyrum - entrance passage

  - Atrium - Entrance court, open to the
sky & at the center is an impluvium
- Impluvium - a water cistern collector
- Tablinum or open living room
- Peristyle – an inner colonnaded court
w/ garden
- Cubicula – bedroom
- Oecus - reception room
- Alae - recesses for conversation
- Kitchen & Pantry

Examples:
- Palace of Diocletian, Spalato - largest
palace & often called “a city in a house” - House of Livia, Rome
covered a total of 8 acres, almost the - House of Surgeon, Pompeii
size of Escorial, Spain

ROMAN HOUSES

• Villa or Country House – a luxurious

country house with surrounding terraces

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 History of architecture | world architecture

and gardens, colonnades, palaestra,

theaters, & thermae.

• Bridges or “Pons” – simple, solid &

practical construction designed to resist the
rush of water
• Insula or Apartment Block – many storey
tenements also called “Workmen’s • Fountains – striking features of ancient &
Dwelling” modern Rome

OTHER STRUCTURES

- “Lacus” or Locus – designed similar to

a large basin of water

• Aqueducts- used for water supply, w/

smooth channels or “specus” lined w/ hard
cement & carried on arches, in several
tiers.

Examples:

• Aqua Marcia, Rome

• Aqua Claudia, Rome - built with Emperors
- “Salientes” – similar to a large basin of
Caligula & Claudia
water with spouting jets

-End of Section-

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