The Cosmic Order: Analyzing the Connection Between Architecture and the Divine
The Pantheon of Hadrian is known as one of the most important architectural buildings of ancient Rome. The Pantheon that stands today was built by Hadrian and his architects between the years 118 and 128 A.D. (Stamper 2005: 186). Designed by Roman emperor Publius Aelius Hadrinus, or Hadrian, the building served to celebrate his ascension into power. This paper emphasizes on the design of the Pantheon’s rotunda and its ties to divinity. Its circular design easily identifies the iconic building along with the oculus feature that allows sunlight to stream from the top. The Pantheon is a structure meant to connect the human world with the realm of the cosmos and order.
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The original Pantheon created by Agrippa faced south, but Hadrian changed the design in order for the structure to face north (McEwen 1993: 62). The consequence of its northern position is that no light enters through the doors the whole year, which makes the interior dark and unwelcoming (Hannah & Magli 2011: 488). The Pantheon’s northern positioning conflicted with the common position of temples made during this time period. The many temples constructed during this time were designed in relation to the sun’s direction to allow the sunlight to fill the room for longer periods (Hannah & Magli 2011: 489-490). The intentional rejection of standard temple designs must mean that Hadrian had a greater reason for the temple. It seems impractical to reduce the lighting in the temple during the day; therefore, Hadrian’s process centered around meaning rather than function. In connection, the reason for the northern position is intertwined with …show more content…
During his visit back to Rome as emperor; Hadrian created plans for the revered Pantheon (McEwen 1993: 56). Hadrian played a key role in the many buildings constructed during his reign. McEwen writes that “unlike those of Augustus, and of the imperial builders who succeeded him, Hadrian’s building activities involved, to an uncommon degree, the personal participation of the emperor himself. If, like his predecessors, Hadrian was a client who commissioned buildings, he was—exceptionally—their architect as well.” (McEwen 1993: 55). The participation of the emperor in constructions is interesting to note since many rulers chose architects to create their monuments rather than participating directly with their designs. The Pantheon is praised for its architectural construction and monumentality that is not present in other pieces. Very few buildings were domed like the Pantheon but they never reached its scale (Mark & Hutchinson 1986: 24). Three important sections compose Hadrian’s Pantheon which are: the pronaos, an intermediate block, and the domed rotunda (Stamper 2005: 188). The temple went through many changes over the course of time. The once bronze tiled roof shone brightly with bronze statues that were removed in later years (Joost-Gaugier 1998: 27). These additions to the temple created an impression of extravagance and it also reinforces the relations with the sun.
The rotunda carries on
Taller than the ancient pyramids in Egypt, large enough to hold the statue of liberty. 100 pounds of weightless stones, heavy enough to hold the Empire state building are the Great Cathedrals (PBS, 2011). Intrigued by the beauty in structure but puzzled by the very construction, without technology for building purposes has researchers mind wondering. In reference to the NOVA program, building of Gothic cathedral begin as a race of height, which over time this plan backfired because of the recent architectural discoveries in the foundation. The NOVA program pointed out that in this race of constructing the tallest building wasn’t the only concern between two rivalry cities in Europe; it purpose was recognized as a scared space for spiritual reasoning to bring ordinary someone closer to God (PBS, 2011).
Although Cordoba’s Mezquita and Rome’s Pantheon share similar architectural qualities, each of these buildings has their own unique characteristics. Cordoba’s Mezquita is an Islamic religious architecture where the community comes together for their daily prayers. Rome’s Pantheon is a temple used as place to display all the gods. A unique feature of the mosque is that some of the arches are horseshoe-shaped, a quality possibly originated from earlier Mesopotamian
As the timeline of humans progressed since the very first settlements, so did the way humans built structures. Human beings became smarter and the planning behind enormous structures became more intricate and marvelous. Further back in history, places of worship played an enormous part in the everyday lives of everyone in those times. Different civilizations have built great temples of worship that have expressed their love of a deity (or deities). These great buildings embody the very best that those people can offer: their best engineering, their best carpentry, their best architecture, their best decoration. Two great examples are the Romanesque Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy and the Gothic Chartres Cathedral. While these two structures are
“The altar in an open precinct preceded the temple as a place of worship and later remained an essential adjunct of the temple, being placed either inside it, or more commonly outside, facing the entrance. Generally it was ...
Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for Emperor Hadrian meeting his quests too. Some say that the rotunda of the building was once a Roman bath. Due to all this mystery, the Pantheon is often referred to as the Sphinx of Rome. The visitor will probably not appreciate the construction as much as the Flavian amphitheatre, but it is still a great masterpiece of engineering and well worth a visit. Most Roman and Greek temples at the time of the Pantheon's construction were large, colonnaded, rectangular enclosures with sanctuaries situated in their centers. The Pantheon was different. It consisted of a large circular drum topped with a hemispherical dome. It is a masterpiece of both engineering and art a lasting memory of Ancient Rome’s might. Roman architecture is architecture of wall and enclosed tactile space. Individual column with entablature is no longer the basic architectural unity. Spatially, it shows a development from closed, simple space units and regular articulation to more complex spatial relations, more fluid interpenetrati...
The interior of the Pantheon is an open circular floor plan and, was painted blue and gold to resemble the vault of heaven (The Humanistic Tradition). The interior of the Pantheon was purposely meant to outshine the exterior. Unlike the Pantheons more interior design the Cathedral has a more exterior design. The interior of the Cathedral of Chartres has a network of open and closed spaces. The exterior of the Cathedral is lined with sculptures that are linked to the Old and New Testaments. Along with t...
Justinian brought with his reign the construction of countless architectural successes that bolstered his empire into a Golden Age. The most well-known and prominent of his works is the Hagia Sophia, an awe-inspiring structure that upon completion 537 C.E. remained the world’s largest cathedral for hundreds of years to come. It captivated the people with its beautiful gold covered ceilings and felt as if though it were suspended from heaven, this perfection was seen as only possible through the influence of God. Not only was it a place of worship but an attraction that brought many travelers that came to marvel the sight, thus promoting trade and cultural diffusion. The creation of the Wall of Theodosius, Wall of Constantine, aqueducts, roads and the Hippodrome were all beneficial to the Byzantine Empire in terms of economic, cultural, and resistance related undertakings. Constantinople was the Rome of the Byzant...
Architecture is one important aspect of Byzantine culture. One of the most famous Byzantine architectural achievements is the Hagia Sophia, which is located in modern-day Istanbul. The basic design of the cathedral has a dome over a square base, which required a new innovation. At the time, it was kn...
As one of the greatest structures in Rome, the Pantheon was built between 118 and 128 CE. It is described as the most remarkable ancient building surviving in Rome. After being destroyed and rebuilt twice, it was renamed the “Temple of the Gods”. In 126 AD, the Pantheon was restored to its glory, by the architects who at that time has learned and mastered their craft in concrete construction in the Greek Classical order. They constructed a massive 25 foot thick walls which was to support the huge dome made of concrete to be placed at the top. The dome was the largest ever made of unreinforced concrete at 43.4 meters in diameter (Matthews, Roy and Platt pg. 5).
Greek palaces and temples, consisting of massive columns, were built for the gods or other religious purposes. The temples found at the center of the polis, the acropolis, were made as earthen dwellings for the gods, a place for storage of sacred objects and offerings, and also served out tasks for the polis such as keeping records. Temples, along with other sacred places were sometimes only open to certain peoples or cults, and people who were not ritually purified or had “religious pollution” were not allowed to enter sacred places (Adkins & Adkins 338). The fact that the religion centers are in the middle of the cities symbolizes how Greek religion was central to Grecian life, it was one of the most important things to them. The temples also represent the architectural and cultural achievements of the Greeks. The magnificent style of these temples has influenced not only Greece but the whole world as Grecian columns have been a staple in architecture since there creation; this is even evident in the United States with buildings such as the United States Capitol, built hundreds of years after the establishment of Ancient Grecian architecture. Along with architecture, Greek art, most notably pottery and sculpture, was also influenced by religion. Greek pottery, depicting mythological and heroic scenes, and statues, portraying the human form often made in the image of gods,
of the greatest architectural structures in the time. Along with the forum he built Trajan's column, which at the base depicted the war against Dacia.
For much of the last millennia many great architects have looked upon the Pantheon as a staple of classical architecture, as well as a model for many modern day buildings. Created by the Romans, the Pantheon would use many elements better than any other works of architecture to that time. No further than Columbia Missouri is this evident in the construction of what used to be known as the First Academic Building on the University of Missouri campus. The Architects Bell and Binder headed the creation of the new building after the First Academic Building burnt down in 1892. Known today as Jesse Hall, this modern day work of architecture pulls many elements from the Pantheon to create a unique work of public space. The most glaring comparison of both comes from the domes that top both buildings. Each building also shares similar characteristics in their front facades. Yet, while there are many similarities to both works, each contain unique differences in their layout and construction.
The Italian Architects of the seventeenth century faced a huge volume of orders to carry out. The most required orders were churches. (Bazin 15) When Urban VIII became pope he asked Bernini to design a baldachino, also known as a canopy, to define the altar area. Bernini built something that was half sculpture and half architecture that had four columns that were very detailed. The columns were designed with spiraling grooves and vines made of bronze. The spiraling and decorative effects were made to symbolize the union of the new and Old Testaments, the vine of the Eucharist climbing the columns of the temple of Solomon. The Eucharist was the Christian ceremony commemorating the Last Supper. The elements of the Ionic and Corinthian orders are at the top of the columns. Angels are along the entablatu...
The end of the Geometric period resulted in the beginning of the Orientalizing Period, dated between 700-600 BC. Within this time frame, Greek introduced a new innovation, the Peripteral Temple. For many years prior, a row of colonnade was used on the interior primarily to hold up the roof of the building. In contrast, columns are seen being used on the outside, creating a visual wall around the building exposing parts of the interior. With in the temple existed the megaron style, carried forward from Bronze Age homes. It was also in eastern influenced period, the first real stone temples, and terra cotta roof tiles came to exist to hold the weight on these new stone temples. The population grew drastically, introducing new techniques and styles, which blended to form designs with balance and symmetry. It was during this period, two major Greek designs were developed, the Ionic and Doric order. (Pedley, 2012: pg. 180) The Doric order, being the first and most simple, consisted of baseless columns placed closely together as the Greeks did not know how much weight the shortened columns could hold. Reason behind this was the lack of length in the columns were believed to hold less weight and therefore forced into being placed closer together. This closely set arrangement created a very bold statement in the Doric temple. The Capital, which sat on top of the concaved shaped shaft, was left plain but when grouped alongside others, suggested a bold harmony. In contrast, the Ionic order was less bulky and more delicate than the Doric order. The top of the capital is decorated with two scrolls, also known as volutes, which could have resembled a shell or animal horns. Above the capital, held room for a surrounding frieze depictin...
While houses, and stoas did have columns they were certainly not as ornate as columns on temples like the Parthenon. So to an ancient Greek the column would have been primarily associated with monumental temples. However, in Rome the collm j was used in a number of different buildings from, basilicas, to baths, to the emperor’s palace. The use of columns as decorations also began in Roman times as seen in buildings like the colosseum. In much more recent times, elements from both Greek and Roman architecture have been combined and used on numerous important buildings. Some of the most obvious examples of this are courthouses, which often have a very striking columnar faced emulating that of Greek and Roman temples. So through the study of ancient architecture one can understand why this architectural style means today, as well as what it means