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Ra character, material, structural revolution
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- 2. Roman Architecture: Prehistory: TheEtruscans Etruscan civilization( 170-100 BC) – Preceded the Roman Empire in Italy – Most of their architecture was destroyed by the Romans • Only hidden structures, such as tombs, were spared – Much of their architecture was greatly influenced by the Greeks – The legacy of Etruscan architecture lives on through its influence in Roman architecture
- 3. Roman Architecture: Roman Characteristics •April 21, 753 B.C. – Pinpointed by the Romans as the day Rome was founded • Early Romans were militant and very disciplined – Lacking in artistic culture • Romans absorbed the Greek culture – Literature, philosophy, science, and painting – New appreciation of the arts
- 4. Roman Architecture: RomanCharacteristics • Roman architecture emerged from Hellenistic and Etruscan influences • It held many original aspects, however – Materials and building techniques – Fulfilled practical purposes • Served commerce, industry and shipping – Ports – Roads – Aqueducts – small Bridges
- 5. Roman Architecture: Building Materials Building materials were very important to the success of Roman architecture Access to a wide variety of building stone including: ○ Volcanic tufa ○ Limestone ○ Travertine Travertine is a natural stone such as Marble, Granite, Onyx, Limestone, Slate etc. The key difference between Travertine and other natural stones lies in the formation of the rock, the hardness of the stone and the appearance. Travertine is formed in hot springs and/or limestone caves Nearly unlimited quantities of white marble ○ Quarry opened by Augustus north of Pisa ○ Other varieties were imported from the Far East
- 6. Roman Architecture: BuildingMaterials • Brick – Romans perfected the art of brick-making • Concrete – Perfected this material – Became the most characteristic material in Roman structures – Was used to construct massive walls and great vaults
- 7. Roman Architecture: ArchitecturalIdeals • Space – To the Romans, the space inside a structure was just as important as the exterior – Interior space was the primary focus of Roman architecture and was shaped by vaults, arches, and walls • Romans were fond of extravagance – Architecture for the powerful was gaudy and colorful, not like the ruins as seen today
- 8. The combinationof arches, vaults, and concrete in architecture are a pure Roman creation – The individual elements had been used in earlier civilizations • Egyptians and Mesopotamians had used primitive arch forms • Greeks had experimented with the arch and concrete with little success • Etruscans had constructed vault-like forms Roman Architecture: StructuralRevolution
- 9. Arches Moreintricate than a simple post-and-lintel system Formed by a multitude of small elements that curve over space by resting against each other in a delicate balance Voussoirs (Wedge-shaped stone building block used in constructing an arch or vault) ○ The elements used to create an arch ○ The shape of the structure keeps each voussoir in place ○ Held together by their own force Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 10. Roman Architecture: StructuralRevolution
- 11. Vault – Createdby extending an arch along its axis • Merely an extended arch – Supports and provides a roof for a given area – Types of vaults • Barrel/Tunnel vault • Cross/Groin vault • Dome Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 12. • Barrel/Tunnel Vaults –The earliest type of vault – Appear in limited form in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Hellenistic Greece – Has a few limitations • Exerts a continuous load, therefore needing constant support • Difficult to illuminate • Increases in length require thicker vault supports Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 13. Cross/Groin Vaults –Created to overcome the limitations of barrel vaults – Employed by the Romans very heavily – Formed by intersecting two barrel vaults at right angles – Limitations • Resistant to square plans Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 14. Roman Architecture: StructuralRevolution
- 15. Roman Architecture: StructuralRevolution Dome The grandest type of vault Types ○ Cloister vault An eight-sided vault, with an octagon-shaped dome Formed by crossing barrel vaults over an octagonal plan Rare in Rome, more prevalent in medieval architecture ○ True dome Perfectly rounded dome, preferred by the Romans Built up in complete rings wherein each ring forms a self- supporting component of the final dome
- 16. Photo: Sullivan Roman Architecture:Structural Revolution
- 17. Roman Architecture: StructuralRevolution
- 18. Concrete Romanconcrete, also called opus caementicium, was the core of every Roman wall after the 2nd century bc. Mostly walls made in opus caementicium were covered with other materials to make a more robust and workable surface. Opus caementicium is a construction technique using an aggregate, water and a binding agent. The aggregate functioned as a filler like gravel, chunks of bricks or stones and rubble. The binding agent is usually called mortar like lime, gypsum or pozzolana (nowadays 'Portland' cement is used). A mixture of mortar-like cement with an aggregate Many advantages over traditional stone ○ Does not need to be quarried, shaped, or transported ○ Highly skilled labor was not needed to prepare the concrete ○ Can be cast in just about any shape imaginable ○ Arches and vaults could be economically fabricated Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 19. • Concrete (opuscaementicium) – Surfaces • Romans developed many types of facings that were weather resistant and pleasant to the eye Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution Opus mixtum;
- 20. • Opus incertum:small irregular stones. Random shaped stones of concrete • Opus reticulatum: small squared tuff blocks laid in a diamond pattern. • Opus testaceum: thick horizontal brick work Brick facing; made concrete wall look as if it were constructed from bricks • Opus spicatum: brick laid in a herringbone pattern. Roman Architecture: Structural Revolution
- 21. Opus quadratum :regularly laid courses of ashlars Opus vittatum: square tuff blocks intersected by brick bands at regular and irregular distances
- 22. Opus africanum :vertical chains of upright blocks with alternating horizontal blocks.
- 23. References: Sir Banister Fletcher-A History of Architecture. (Twentieth Edition) Emily Cole- The Grammar of Architecture Louis Hellman- Architecture for beginners THANK YOU. This is just a track line to the subject matter. students are requested to study the recommended books & also go after .
Editor's Notes
- #24 Joarder Hafiz Ullah, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Architecture, DUET, Gazipur.