Roman Architecture: Introduction

Kings need palaces and priests need temples -- but democracy needs large
gathering places
Like the Greek agora, the Roman Forum was the center of religious, political, and
economic life
The best preserved Forum is at Pompeii, and dates from the Imperial period
 FORUM

The forum was a large rectangular public square enclosed by a colonnade

This is an artist’s reconstruction of the forum at Pompeii
And in this aerial view of the actual site you can still see some of the columns of the
colonnade still standing
Aerial view of the Forum at Pompeii
 Temple of
Jupiter,
Juno, and
Minerva

Temple
of Apollo

Surrounding the forum were a variety of buildings, including temples and government
buildings

Magistrates
buildings
 Market

There was also a covered market and public toilets!

Roman toilets were long stone benches with “key holes” cut into them, offering little in
the way of privacy
The toilets were hooked up to a sewer system fed by aqueducts that would carry
away waste
Instead of toilet paper, Romans used a sponge stick to clean themselves – which was
shared with the next person in line!
Yeah, its kinda gross – but hey, they had toilets and plumbing!!!
An important municipal building on the forum was the basilica

Basilica
It served as a law court and could accommodate large crowds of people

Basilica
The basilica had walls on the outside, and columns on the inside
It was like a Greek temple turned inside out
 This is a reconstruction of the interior of a Roman basilica

Reconstruction of the Basilica Ulpia: http://student-kmt.hku.nl/~joost1/forumtrajani/NE%20Basilica.html

 The roof is held up by columns, and the interior is lit by clerestory windows

Reconstruction of the Basilica Ulpia: http://student-kmt.hku.nl/~joost1/forumtrajani/NE%20Basilica.html

Photograph showing the ruins of the basilica at Pompeii
You can see the remains of the basilica at Pompeii in this aerial photograph
 And some of the original columns are still standing
Photograph showing the ruins of the basilica at Pompeii
You need to know something about the Roman basilica because it will later become
the model for the Early Christian church
 Roman temples drew on Greek and Etruscan sources

Temple of “Fortuna Virilis” (Portuna), Rome, c. 75 BCE

 Greek influences include the Ionic columns and triangular pediment

Temple of “Fortuna Virilis” (Portuna), Rome, c. 75 BCE

The high podium and deep porch comes from Etruscan temples
The widened cella with engaged columns (columns that are flush against the wall)
are also a departure from Greek temple design
In Greek temples the columns go all the way around the building, so there is a
“porch” on all four sides
 In Roman temples the porch is only on the front, and the walls are widened so they
are flush with the columns

Temple of “Fortuna Virilis” (Portuna), Rome, c. 75 BCE

These are called “engaged columns” – they are decorative, rather than functional,
since they don’t hold the roof up (the walls are doing that)
Temple of Portunus, back side
Wikimedia
 Roman temples are generally small; their main function was to house the cult statue

Temple of “Fortuna Virilis” (Portuna), Rome, c. 75 BCE

 Like in Greece, all ritual took place at an outdoor altar, so the building didn’t have to
accommodate large crowds
Marcus Aurelius and Imperial family offer
sacrifice in gratitude for success against
Germanic tribes in front of the Temple of
Jupiter, relief from the Arch of Marcus
Aurelius, Capitoline Museum
The greatest innovations in Roman architecture took place in the form of practical
architecture during the Imperial period
Roman emperors had to attend to the practical needs of a vast empire, and their
architects were called upon to solve practical problems of engineering and design
that led to spectacular innovations
One of the most important discoveries was the use of concrete as a building material
An exterior shell was formed using brick or stone, then filled in with concrete
Stone architecture required highly skilled workers who could precisely the blocks of
stones required, but buildings made of concrete could employ un-skilled laborers
making it much cheaper to build
Lightweight, inexpensive, and durable, concrete made it possible to build on a much
larger scale than was previously possible
But a new building principle was also necessary to bring the use of concrete to its full
potential
The post and lintel system was limited in terms of the size of the space it could span
The Romans turned instead to the arch, which was critical to the development of
Imperial architecture
The arch has very special properties: it is virtually self-supporting once the keystone
is put in place
 In this photograph we can see a stone arch being built; the stones are cut at an
angle, and placed around a wooden form. Once the keystone is put in place, the
wooden form can be removed, and the stones will support one another
http://www.supertool.com/arch19.jpg
The arch became the basis of a new kind of vaulted architecture that enabled Roman
architects to enclose space in entirely new ways
 Barrel Vault Groin Vault

There are a variety of different types of vaults; a barrel vault is a long tunnel in the
shape of a barrel; a groin vault is when two barrel vaults intersect
 Dome

A hemispherical dome is another type of vault

 Combined with the new material of concrete, vaulted architecture allowed Roman
architects to literally “think outside the box” by molding interior space in new flexible
designs, and on a scale that would have been impossible using the old post and lintel
system
Thanks for listening!
 Roman Imperial Architecture:
Aqueducts, Theaters, and Baths
 Roman Imperial Architecture served two main functions

1. Practical: cities needed roads, bridges, sewers, and aqueducts in order to

function

2. Ideological: Roman emperors sponsored building projects that served as

reminders of Imperial grandeur and power, and of the benefits of being a citizen of
the Roman Empire
The new Tappan Zee Bridge can provide an appropriate analogy
Governor Andrew Cuomo has staked his political career on this project, and its
completion will earn him considerable political capital and popular support
The bridge is practical: it will get cars, trucks and buses over the Hudson River, but it
is also intended to be beautiful (it will become a tourist destination with its viewing
deck), and symbolic of the regions economic renewal
Roman Emperors, too, understood that public architecture served a critical purpose in
shaping public opinion, and maintaining political stability
 An important form of public architecture was aqueducts

Aquaduct of Segovia, Spain

Roman aqueducts carried water over great distances to cities and towns throughout
the Empire
With nothing but gravity to keep the water flowing, these structures were considerable
feats of engineering
 The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct that was erected in Nimes, France, under the
Emperor Augustus

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, c. 16 BCE

The structure was made with concrete (with an outer casing of masonry), and
exemplifies the benefits of the Roman arch
A structure of this scale simply could not be accomplished with the old post and lintel
system
 The Pont du Gard exemplifies the dual function of Imperial architecture

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, c. 16 BCE

 Imperial Architecture

On the one hand, it was practical: as an aqueduct it carried water to the Roman city
of Nimes from reservoirs thirty miles away

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, c. 16 BCE

 Imperial Architecture

But its magnificent scale and beautiful design also served as a reminder of the
grandeur of the Empire, and of the benefits of Romanization

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France, c. 16 BCE

The Romans built bridges and roads throughout the Empire
 Many of them are still standing, and some are still in use

Roman bridge: Pont da Villa Formosa, Portugal

 The Emperor Trajan built a multi-level market near his forum that helped relieve traffic
congestion in the city

Apollodorus of Damascus, Trajan’s Market, c. 100-112 BCE

The first indoor shopping mall, Trajan’s markets provided traffic-free access to shops
In this photograph we can see the groin vaulted ceilings, made with concrete
encased with masonry
Roman architects engineered a city sewage system and public toilets
Greek architecture was renowned for its aesthetic beauty and refinement of
proportions
Roman architecture was renowned for its practicality and brilliant engineering
 In addition to practical architecture, Roman Emperors also built places of public
entertainment
Mosaic from Dar Buc Ammera villa
(Zliten) and now in Jamahiriya
Museum of Tripoli, Libya, depicts
some of the entertainments that would
have been offered at the games.
Wikipedia
The Colliseum was built by the Flavian Emperor Vespasian
 It was used for a wide range spectacles, including
Gladiatorial spectacles, mock battles, and later, the persecution of Christians
Seating capacity for 50,000 spectators
Opening performances lasted 100 days
20,000 gladiators were killed
Vaulted arcades run the circumference of the building, allowing an easy flow of traffic
Concrete and the use of vaults made the design possible
The arena was covered by a wooden floor and sand (to soak up the blood)
Beneath it was a complex maze of passageways and tunnels for transporting
gladiators and animals
Ancient accounts say that it could be flooded with water for mock naval battles
This is how the Coliseum looks today – the floor no longer exists, so we can see into
the vast network of underground tunnels and chambers
An awning system provided shelter in case of rain
On the façade, the concrete was faced with stone and engaged columns that retained
the “look” of post and lintel architecture
Although the columns do not “support” the architecture, they were associated with
beautiful buildings, and so were used as decoration
The architect used three different orders for the three levels – a style that was much
repeated throughout history
The ground floor is the Tuscan order (a variation of the Doric order), the second floor
is Ionic, and the third floor is Corinthian
Like stadiums and amphitheaters, Imperial baths provided comfort, leisure, and
entertainment to a large and potentially restive population
 The most impressive baths were built by the Roman Emperor Caracalla
Portrait head of Emperor Marcus
Aurelius Antoninus (called Caracalla),
ca. 217-230 CE
Metropolitan Museum
 The Baths today are in ruins, but they were once a marvel of architectural beaut
engineering
Baths of Caracalla, Rome 212-216 CE
Image source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BathsOfCaracalla.jpg
The bath complex covered 6 acres and could accommodate 1600 bathers
In addition to hot and cold baths, there was a sauna, gymnasium, dressing rooms, a
lounge, as well as a library, restaurant, and shops
Roman Baths were like like our modern sports gyms and spas, only more luxurious
The Baths of Caracalla brought Roman vaulting and the use of concrete architecture to
a new level of aesthetic refinement
The building was lavishly decorated with stone columns, and the walls were sheathed
in stone (the real stuff – not the faux-marbling we saw in Roman houses)
And they were decorated with sculptures – this reconstruction shows a Roman copy of
a Late Classical statue of Hercules, now in the Metropolitan Museum
We can get a taste of just how lavish the decorations were by going inside Santa Maria
degli Angeli in Rome, which was built inside the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian, a later
Roman Emperor
Here we get a sense of the spectacular scale, and extravagant use of expensive stone
columns and sheathing for the walls
This is what the Romans excelled at: the grand interior space that literally takes your
breath away
While Greek architects focused on achieving harmonious perfection on the exterior of
their buildings, Roman architects used concrete and vaulted architecture to mold
interior space on a grand scale
Here is an interesting tidbit: the original design for New York City’s Penn Station was
based on the Baths of Caracalla
The waiting room had 150 foot tall ceilings, with massive stone columns
 In the 1960s the building was destroyed to make way for Madison Square Garden

Penn Station, New York City

But if you have ever visited Grand Central station, you know what it is like to
experience a Roman-scaled building first hand
As you step into the space, and gasp at its sheer size and grandeur, you are
experiencing the effect that Imperial architecture was designed to induce!
Thanks for listening
The Roman Pantheon
The building that brought concrete vaulted architecture to its highest level of aesthetic
refinement was the Roman Pantheon

The Pantheon, 118-125 CE

 It was built by the Emperor Hadrian and was dedicated to the Pantheon of Roman
gods
Marble Bust of the Emperor Hadrian
British Museum
The building has a traditional temple façade, but he rest of the building is anything but
traditional
Behind the Greek temple front is a circular building
The building is in the shape of a drum topped by a hemispherical dome
It enjoys the honor of being the largest domed structure in antiquity
The diameter of the drum is 142’ wide, and it is 142’ from the floor to the top of the
dome
So the interior is based on the shape of a sphere – the orb of the earth, topped by the
vault of heaven
The temple front is massive in scale, with huge granite columns that were imported
from Egypt
The interior space is vast, spectacular -- and completely unexpected, since it is circular
rather than rectangular!
In fact, it is so large it is impossible to get a photograph that fully encompasses the
expanse of the space
This 18th century painting gives some sense of the full effect of theGiovanni
interior
Panini, Interior
of the Pantheon, 1747
The dome is decorated with coffers – sunken panels that held gilded bronze rosettes in
the center, evoking a starry sky
The coffers are both decorative and functional: they help to lighten the weight of the
dome
In the center of the dome is an oculus – a 30’ wide opening that allowed light to flood
the interior
As the sun moves across the sky, it moves around the building like a sun dial,
spotlighting the statues of the planetary gods in the niches
So Greek and Roman approaches to architecture were fundamentally different
 Greek Architecture
Roman Architecture

So Greek and Roman approaches to architecture were fundamentally different

GREEK ARCHITECTURE
Post and lintel construction
Built with stone (marble, limestone)
Preoccupation with the exterior of the building
Emphasis on harmony of proportions
ROMAN ARCHIECTURE
Vaulted construction
Built with concrete (less expensive; more “elastic” and moldable”)
Preoccupation with molding interior space (“spatial envelopes”)
Emphasis on grand scale
Thanks for listening