The Pantheon Essay

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THE PANTHEON AS PART OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE AND ROME AS CAPUT MUNDI

The Pantheon, completed 125CE, is a very well preserved example of the different shapes used for temple buildings during Imperial Roman times. With its juxtaposition of linear and circular features in its structure (a traditional columnar porch and a rotunda), it has influenced architecture and allowed us to appreciate the genius of Roman architecture and experience the glory of ancient Rome as caput mundi.

Roman Vitrivius’ De Architectura argued for the differentiation between and inclusion of firmitas, utilitas and venustas. This Vitrivian triad explains architectural quality as a complete correlation between durability, convenience and beauty. The Pantheon is undoubtedly this but I choose to expand on firmitas …show more content…

The Pantheon’s porch is eight columns wide and three deep. The unfluted monolithic columns, brought from Egypt, are made from granite and are 1,5m in diameter at the base, reducing to 1,3m at the top. They have Corinthian capitals of white Pentelic marble and support the inscribed pediment. The original porch roof had trussed framing fabricated with timber and rived bronze plates. The rotunda walls which are the dome’s support, rise through three stories built of brick-faced concrete with brick relieving arches and separated by stone cornices. Originally the brickwork was faced with marble and stucco. The interior construction appears simple but is actually structurally complex. The 6m thick cylindrical drum which supports the dome has voids which rise into the second storey behind the attic with further hidden voids above and between them. The complete drum is made up of three unbroken arcades that parallel to the three layers of arches visible on the outside of the structure. The pilings are supported by a colossal 4,5m deep circular

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