THE PANTHEON Rome, Italy, c. 126 CE
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Transcript of THE PANTHEON Rome, Italy, c. 126 CE
THE PANTHEONRome, Italy, c. 126 CE
Selected Work #4ART RESOURCE GUIDE
Watch these:Khan Academy's Pantheon (8:31):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaY8zqYfQI0
Engineering an Empire (9:39) start 2 min. into video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC5uecyfK34
Building the Pantheon (8:41): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305niNDG8c4&index=5&list=PL_vT94oYGFZTekvqXh0sgVF1mpaVRIr4g
THE PANTHEON: 4 Views
The development of concreteCONCRETE:
allowed construction projects to last through timeUsed by
Some scholars think it was used by Egyptians It arose DEFINITIVELY with the Romans
Developed out of NECESSITYNo convenient MARBLE QUARRIES in Rome as in Greece
Local stone mostly soft volcanic material Unsuitable for big building!
Ambitious projects required a new, more flexible bldg. material TRIAL & ERROR led to ideal CONCRETE recipe
THUS…development of concreteNOT a single great discoveryBut more of an EVOLVING process of
Innovation & investgation
CONCRETEMade of a mixture of
Lime mortarVolcanic sandStoneWater
A chemical reaction w/ water changes the molecular structure, which
Creates heat Binds them strongly creating “artificial stone”
The resulting material is excellent for constructionCan be molded into any shapeIs FIRE-RESISTANT
Renders ARCHITECTURE a matter ofSPACE rather than MASS(lg., unobstructed areas can be built in almost any
configuration)
Distinctive Features of Roman ConcreteIn earlier eras, builders had used
Lime mortars Manifestations of concrete
But what made Roman concrete different wasThe particular materials usedThe sophistication of their application
Roman buildersBegan with simple
techniquesSuch as mortared rubble construction2 closely placed brink
wallsFilled with rubbleCovered in clay
Later methodsIncluded binding the rubble with poured mortars
of various formulasThe most significant advancement = the
addition of POZZOLANA to the mortar mixtureReddish volcanic dustA.k.a. POZZOLANIC ASHBound esp. well with sand & lime to create a
strong, waterproof mass as it curedAlso, could be set in DAMP CONDITIONS
Allowing for greater flexibility w/ construction schedule
Roman concreteUsed a wide variety of aggregate stoneSTONE gives concrete
Strengthmass
The Romans were careful to choose the right aggregate for the right project. They used everything fromSELCE, a very heavy lava stone toTUFTA and PUMICE – lightweight
They even recycled for use as aggregate:architectural sculptures Stone buildings
Experimentation & innovation = typicalPANTHEON:
significant monument and significant example of innovation
tufa
pumice
The Pantheon: AnalysisOne of the most unusual/remarkable ancient templesBuilt under emperor HADRIAN
Although inscription on front states M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT
Indicating it was Founded by MARCUS AGRIPPA And completed during his 3rd round as consul (27 or 25 BCE)
Agrippa’s original burned (80 CE)2nd structure built by DOMITIAN
was destroyed, too.So this is actually the 3rd versionof a temple at this location
The inscription shows respect forTraditionThe original buildingThe emperor who first sponsored it
The PANTHEONLike the 2 previous versions Was dedicated to all the gods in the Roman
pantheon
BASIC ARCHITECTUREQuite simple
Hemispherical domeSet on cylindrical base
Walls areRounded like a drumResulting in a perfect sphere in the interior
InteriorAmazing scale
Very openNo central supports to break it up
Particularly striking and surprising because entry = traditional Corinthian PORTICO withCOLONNADEPEDIMENTPITCHED ROOF LINE BUT…
BUT…Instead of the
rectangular space suggested by the temple front
One enters a vast, circular space
For a PANORAMIC VIEW, visit
http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ha/html/ancient_rome_pantheon_
INTERIORMarvel of an interior is made possible
primarily through use of CONCRETEFLEXIBILITY allowed shaping of perfectly
curved lines ofDRUMDOME
The DOME itself possible only due to newly formulated material (CONCRETE)142 feet in diameterThe largest such structure built in Europe
before the 20th century
The Treasury of AtreusBefore the PANTHEON,
the TREASURY OF ATRUS =Only comparable vaulted space WITHOUT
interior supportsBut it’s quite small in comparison
only 43 feet high
THE DOME
Quite complex in designSupported at its base by curved walls of
templeWalls are 20 FEET THICKDome is 20 FEET THICK as it joins the walls
From there, the dome rises to the ceilingIts width gradually decreasing until it’s a mere
6 FEET THICK at the pinnacle
THE DOMEThe dome’s concrete mix included
FIVE different aggregatesWith denser, heavier materials closer to the drumLighter materials used as dome springs upward
COFFERSTelescoping square formsUsed to remove material and
further lighten the load of the dome
OCCULUS30-foot wide opening at top of domeCircular hole = primary source of light for the
interior in antiquity
DECORATIONS:Originally richly decoratedEach COFFER adorned
with a GILDED
BRONZEROSETTEMade it look like a starry
nightThe walls were
multicolored -- covered with marblethin sheets of MARBLE
VENEERMARBLE COLUMNS
NichesThe niches in the drum interior
wereFilled with sculpturesDedicated to all the Roman gods
Decorative elements were brought to the temple from throughout the empireReminder of wealth Extent of Roman holdings
Sheathed modest-looking concrete material from which temple was built
Rich marble & bronze used to spectacular effect
Loss & Recovery of ConcreteAfter the collapse of the Roman Empire, the use of
concrete was drastically reducedBy 400 CE ROMAN RECIPE was losteffectively disappeared until the 14th century
1300s to mid-1600s, concrete used sporadically until
the CANAL DU MIDI1670southern France
EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE1759British engineer JOHN SMEATON used concreteDevon, England
MODERNIZATIONSDevelopment of PORTLAND CEMENT
Most commonly used form todayBy JOSEPH ASPDIN1824
Invention of REINFORCED CONCRETE1849JOSEPH MONIER
used to perfection by the Romans, but has only reemerged relatively recently in history
Is one of the most prevalent building materials in use around the world
Review Games & FlashcardsPlay JEWELS OF WISDOM: The Pantheon at
http://www.cram.com/flashcards/games/jewel/art-04-the-pantheon-4788385
Practice at Quizlet:http://quizlet.com/44372441/art-the-pantheon-p
p-63-66-flash-cards/