Comparing Architectural Marvels: Roman Pantheon vs Macon Auditorium

Roman Pantheon (c. AD 125) v. Macon Auditorium (ca.1900)

In this project, we going to compare two historical building, the Roman Pantheon (c.AD 125) and the Macon Auditorium completed in 1925 (“Macon City Auditorium”). Although very recent in historical perspective, we did find fewer information about the latest building compare to the Roman Pantheon. In this project, we did find a striking resemblance between these two building, starting from the idea behind the project, the architectural concept and it evolution and finally how these respective building fit within the time frame of their creator.

Built in the heart of Rome over 2000 years ego, the Pantheon is a massive concrete building even for modern day scales. It was designed for social gathering, mainly religious. It comprise of a

combination one circular building called the rotunda and one rectangular building called the Pronaos. The façade mirror the one of the Greek Temple with massive Corinthian order style colons that support the roof. The circular section of the building is cover by a massive concrete dome with a central hole that let the light in the building. The interior of the dome is decorated with geometric shapes blocks. The overall building look rather rough and crude, according to Milo, Gary, James and Edmund, the building lack the balance and poise of those of the Greek, the ornaments were not perfectly integrated into the architectural plan (Milo et al 67). We therefor did not see the natural progress in the Art evolution in term of design and technique during this time, and this could only be explain according to above mention authors by the fact that Roman were not natural artist but buyers and borrowers whose copies were often less expressive than the originals( 67).
Just as the Pantheon, the Macon city Auditorium is situated at the heart of the city and the main purpose of this massive still and concrete building is for social events not only limited to religious, but also political cultural and economic. The Architectural style of the building is often characterized as Neoclassical Greek revival (“Macon City Auditorium”). The only reliable information we gathered about the size of this building was related to the Great Hall seats capacity which total over 2600 split between 14000 square-foot floors. Similar to ancient Greek arena, the Great Hall is a basin shape like siting area overlooking a stage decorated with scene of Macon area history (“Macon City Auditorium”). A cooper Dome dominate the roof and the Doric style column surround three side of the building. The decorative features of the building are rather refined, stylish and elegant. A visitor will experience the beauty and the grandiose of our ancients Architectural past in the light of modern technology of concrete and still.
Another aspect of modernity is the modular Hall in other to accommodate the space according to the events; the seats arrangement and the stage will be different whether the event is a concert, a sporting event of a state fair. We observe on the Macon Auditorium the natural progression of an Art form as it fit in the modern context, unlike the Pantheon in Rome.
Comparing the Roman Pantheon (c.AD 125) to The Macon Auditorium would seem unfair and counter intuitive, however major observation can be noted here: first the vision of the Art creator of the people that commission those work are the same, grandiose, Majestics and for functional for the enjoyment of the community, the desire to create an everlasting piece of Art that will tell the stories of those who lived at that time to many generation to come.

Second, these two structure perfectly aligned themselves with the trend of their respective era. Third, despite being thousand years apart in term of style and techniques, those two structures achieved a very similar goal in defining beauty, somewhat harmony and strength. The evolution of the work of Art can be observe as we go from the rough exterior aspect of the Roman Pantheon to the slick and stylish aspect of the Macon Auditorium. Through our public building and even in some case our private home each of us live in a little piece of the Pantheon. We can forcefully assert that the Middle Age set the foundation of our modern society through various form of Art, and Architecture is the living proof of Art defining the human

experience.