HOA-IV Early Christian.ppt

History of Architecture II
Early Christian Architecture

– Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
– Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Christian Architecture

Historical Background
Location
• The Early Christian and
Byzantine architecture started
in two prominent locations
centered at Rome and
Byzantium or Constantinople
• Early Christian architecture
occurred in Rome and in
areas around Rome
• Byzantine architecture was
centered at Byzantium
• From the two focal points
Early Christian and Byzantine
Architecture spread to other
areas in the European and
Asian region

Period
• The following is a time line of events for
the Early Christian and Byzantine period:
– 29 A.D. Passing of Isa (AS) and
beginning of Christian Religion
– 286 A.D. Emperor Diocletian reorganizes
the Roman Empire splitting it into two; the
Eastern and the Western part
– 313 A. D. Emperor Constantine recognizes
the Christian religion and adopts it as a state
religion

Period
– 324 A.D. Emperor Constantine reunited
the Roman Empire with a new capital at
Byzantium
– 364 A. D. Rome finally splits into two; the
Western and Eastern Empire
– 476 A. D. Rome is sacked by Visgoth and
Vandals
– 632 A. D. Muslim begin an advance on the
Byzantine empire
– 1453 A. D. Byzantium falls to Sultan
Muhammad II ending the Byzantine Empire

Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• The Roman Empire and the Christian
Religion
– The single most important social
phenomenon of the early Christian and
Byzantine period was the spread and
acceptance of the Christian religion
– Early During the period from the first century
to the third century after the death of Jesus,
Christianity was a secret society
– It was considered dangerous and subversive
by the government

Religion
– Christians met secretly in tombs and
private houses
– Gradually, however, it spread and became
widely accepted in Asia minor and in
Rome itself
– By the third century, Rome had a
population of 50,000 Christians
– The religion was tolerated but it was still
illegal

Religion
– The third century was for the Roman Empire a
period of political instability and decline
– The Empire was split into a Western and
Eastern Empires
– In A.D. 313, the Emperor Constantine issued
the Edict of Milan making Christianity legal
– He also adopted it as a state religion and he
became the first Christian emperor

Religion
– The acceptance of the religion by the emperor
fueled its expansion
– It also led to the early development of places
of worship for the new religion
– Constantine was able to unite the Roman
Empire during his reign
– He established the capital of the new empire
at Byzantium, renamed Constantinople or the
city of Constantine
– After his death, the Empire was again split

Religion
– The Western Empire was sacked by Vandals
and Visigoths in 476, leading to its
disintegration
– The Eastern Empire with Constantinople as
its capital survived for a thousand years,
– Although the Eastern Empire was not yet
"Byzantine" under Constantine, Christianity
would become one of its defining
characteristics

Religion
– The empire was a multinational state
– Greek became the everyday language as well
as the language of the church and everyday
commerce in this empire
– The general identity of the Eastern Roman
Empire was a combination of Roman
statehood, Hellenistic culture and Christian
religion

• Architecture of the Period
– With Christianity widely accepted as a state
religion in Rome it was necessary for
architecture to respond to the demands of the
religion for worship space
– Mode of worship was the most important
determinant of the form of the church
– Requirement for church design was centered
on worship and burial

– The requirements include:
• A path for processional entry and exit of the clergy
• An alter area, where the clergy celebrate mass
• A space for the segregation of the clergy from the
congregation during procession and communion
• Burial space

– The focus of both Early Christian and
Byzantine architecture is on the Christian
church
– Before the legal recognition of the new faith,
Christian places of worship were of necessity
inconspicuous with no fixed architectural form
– Afterward, however, imposing cult edifices
were erected in many parts of the Roman
Empire, especially in its major cities
– Early Christian builders adapted structures
that had been used in the Roman world

– The basilica, consisting of a nave flanked by lower
aisles and terminated by an apse, was adopted as the
standard structure in Christian congregational worship
– This was not however the only form adopted
– More centralized plans which were of round,
polygonal, or cruciform shapes were adopted
occasionally
– Martyria were erected on sites connected with certain
events in the life of Jesus and other places held to be
sanctified by the sacrifice of the martyrs

– In such buildings the martyrium structure and basilica
were combined, creating a new formal synthesis of
great significance for Christian religious architecture
– Development of the Christian church continued during
the Byzantine era
– In the Byzantine period focus shifted from the rituals
or practices of worship to the building as an
embodiment or symbols of the majesty of the faith
– Innovative structure was combined with light and
decoration to create fascinating interiors

Architecture of the Civilization

Introduction
• The term early Christian architecture refers to the
architecture of the early Christian churches of the roman
era
• This is further divided into two types; the basilica church
and the alternative church plans
• With Christianity accepted as a state religion in Rome and
expanding in influence, it became necessary for
architecture to respond to the space demands of the new
religion
• A building used for Christian worship had to provide a
path for the processional entry and exit of the clergy, an
alter area, where the clergy celebrated mass, a space for
the segregation of the clergy from congregation during the
procession and communion

Basilica Church Type
• Apart from administering to the spiritual needs of
the living, some churches also provided burial
spaces for the dead
• The early churches were generally simple and
functional in their design
• The emphasis was centered on the act of
Christian worship
• The architecture of the church that developed
was not a completely new style, but the use of
available Roman forms to satisfy a new program
need
• The form chosen for the early church was the
Roman basilica

• It was suitable for use as a church with no
serious modification and it could be easily and
rapidly built at low cost
• The Basilica was also preferred because of the
emphasis on participation in mass.
• The most common form of the early churches
had a rectangular hall with a timber trussed roof
• It also had one or two aisles on each side of a
central nave and an apse at one end facing the
principal entrance located at the other end

• The apse of the basilica was used as a
location for the alter
• The nave was used as a sitting for the
clergy
• Common people sat in the aisles
• The early churches may have a courtyard
or atrium in front of it
• A fountain is usually located in the center
of such an atrium; This was used for
baptism

• Most of the early churches had clerestory
lighting
• Clerestory windows were developed to
give light to the central part of the interior
• Gradually, the clerestory windows became
a symbol of the transcendence and grace
of god
• Variations in the character of the early
church reflected differences in local
resources and traditions

S. Giovanni in Laterano AD 313-320
• A typical example of the
early Christian church is S.
Giovanni in Laterano Rome
• It was the first church
commission by Emperor
Constantine
• It was built as the
Cathedral of the Bishop of
Rome
• It was remodeled several
times

S. Giovanni in Laterano AD 313-320
• The image is a reconstruction
of the original church
• The church consists of a
central nave flanked by two
narrow aisles and separated
from them by a monumental
colonnade
• The central nave rose above
the aisle roof, and the inner
aisle rose above the outer
• The nave terminated at an
apse
• The structure was of brick
faced concrete covered with
simple trussed-timber roof.

S. Peters, Rome AD 333
• St Peter was the most
important of the basilica
churches built by Constantine
• The church has a triple
entrance gate leading to an
atrium
• The church like S. Giovanni
discussed earlier is a five
aisles church
• The Basilica had a wooden
roof of interlocking rafters
• The nave did not lead directly
to the apse but instead ends in
a transverse space that is as
high as the nave

S. Peters, Rome AD 333
• The nave terminated in a
triumphal arch that framed
the curve of the apse
• Some of the early churches
were built over the tomb of
martyrs and are known as
martyrium
• St Peters is one of the
earliest and most important of
the matyrium churches
• It was built over what was
believed to be the tomb of
Saint Peter who was a
disciple of Jesus

Church Of Nativity, Bethlehem
• This is the church of the
nativity Bethlehem
• It was built at the place
where Jesus, (Isa alayhi
salaam), is believed to be
born
• Here we also find the
standard features of a
basilica church
• These include:
• A central nave
• 2 aisles on each side of the
nave

Church Of Nativity, Bethlehem
• An apse at the head of the
nave
• An atrium before the
entrance
• The use of clerestory lighting
• The most significant aspect
of this church is a large
octagon at its head covered
by a conical roof
• This is the exact location
where Jesus, Isa Alayhi
salaam, was born
• It is therefore a palace of
pilgrimage for the Christians

Alternative Church Form
• The rectangular basilica was not the only form adopted
for the early church
• Alternative more centralized plans, with a focus on a
central vertical axis rather than a longitudinal horizontal
one were also adopted occasionally
• The reasons for their adoption is not very clear
• The centralized churches were of two broad types
• There were the completely circular churches
• These had a circular or octagonal space surrounded by
an ambulatory
• Examples of these include the lateran Baptistery Rome
and Saint Stefano Rotondo

Round Alternative Form
Lateran Baptistery
• The lateran Baptistery was
built by Emperor Constantine
in A.D. 315
• It was designed to mirror S.
Constanza
• The circular scheme of S.
Constanza was in this church
changed to two octagonal
rings
• A ring of trabeated colonnade
defined the central space

Round Alternative form
St Stefano Rotondo
• It was built in A.D. 468
and was the first
circular church in Rome
• It is the largest circular
church, having diameter
of about 36 meters
• The plan of the church
blends the cruciform
with a circular plan
• It has a huge central
nave

Round Alternative form
St Stefano Rotondo
• The central nave is
encircled by ionic
columns and is lit by
22 clerestory windows
• An ambulatory
surrounds the
colonnade of the nave
and opens to four
chapels used to
define a cruciform
shape

Byzantine Architecture
Introduction
• By the end of the 5th century AD, Rome had completely declined
• It had been sacked twice and was then under occupation
• Its influence was significantly reduced and the Impetus for architectural innovation
shifted to the Byzantine Empire
• This shift also marks the movement from early Christian civilization to the Byzantine
civilization
• Under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the Byzantine style of architecture evolved
• His interest in church building led to the discovery of the groin vault and the evolution
of the Byzantine style
• Although it is impossible to identify two similar Byzantine churches, it is still
possible to identify the basic characteristics of an ideal Byzantine church
• The attributes of the ideal church included:
– The use of a centralized church plan
– The use of surrounding isles
– The use of pendantives and dome on pendentives
– And the use of a complex program of interior structure, lighting and decoration to
create fascinating interiors

Domes and Domes on Pedentives
• Byzantine architecture gave us the pedentive domes and
the dome on pedentives
• The pendentive dome and the dome on pendentives
provided the Byzantine architects with a unique way of
adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or
polygonal plan
• This type of dome was invented by the Romans but was
seldom used by them
• It was the Byzantine builders who used it to create
dramatic interiors
• In the Pantheon in Rome, the Dome roof had to be
supported by a circular plan
• The walls of the plan had to be thick to counterbalance
the forces from the Dome

• The pendentive dome is
derived by trimming the sides
of a regular dome over a
square plan as shown in A.
• The pendentive dome enables
the transfer the total load of the
dome to the four corners of a
building, meaning that only the
four corners need to be
reinforced
• This allows the dome roof to be
adapted for a square building
as shown in B

• Additionally, the top of the
pendentive dome can be trim to
introduce another dome on top
of it as shown in C
• The additional dome can
further be raised to introduce a
cylinder between the
pendentive dome and the
additional dome as in D
• Windows can then be
introduced in the cylinder
enabling architects to creating
dazzling interior light effects

Hagia Sophia
• Hagia Sophia or the church of
the holy wisdom is the most
accomplished master piece in
the history of architecture
• The church was constructed in
532 A.D. by Emperor Justinian
in Constantinople now Istanbul
• Hagia Sophia was the greatest
vaulted space without
intermediate supports that has
ever been built and it remained
so throughout the history of
the Byzantine Empire

Hagia Sophia
• Its architects were Isidore
of Miletus and Anthemius
of Tralles, professors of
geometry at the University
of Constantinople
• The church provides an
expert solution to the
problem of how to place a
dome on a square base
• The solution was to use
pendantives

Hagia Sophia
• Hagia Sophia is covered by a
central dome 102 feet (31 m)
across, slightly smaller than
the Pantheon's
• The dome seems rendered
weightless by the unbroken
arcade of arched windows
under it, which help flood the
colorful interior with light
• The dome is carried on
pendentives
• The weight of the dome
passes through the
pendentives to four massive
piers at the corners

Hagia Sophia
• Between them the dome
seems to float upon four great
arches
• These four concave triangular
sections of masonry solved
the problem of setting the
circular base of a dome on a
rectangular base
• The church form is a
combination of centralized
and longitudinal structure
• Longitudinal direction is
defined by domes to the east
and west

Hagia Sophia
• At Hagia Sophia, two
opposing arches on the
central square open into
semi domes, each pierced
by 3 smaller radial semi-
domes
• At the west (entrance) and
east (liturgical) ends, the
arched openings are
extended and by great half
domes carried on smaller
semi-domed exedras

Hagia Sophia
• Thus a hierarchy of dome-
headed elements build up to
create a vast oblong interior
crowned by the main dome, a
sequence never seen before in
antiquity
• Of great artistic importance was
its decorated interior with
mosaics and marble pillars and
coverings
• The combination of interior
decoration with lights flooding
from its domes creates a
glittering internal environment

Hagia Sophia
• Hagia sophia dominated
church architecture after the
6th century AD
• For over 900 years it was the
seat of the Orthodox patriarch
of Constantinople and a
principal setting for imperial
ceremonies
• Hagia Sophia was converted to
a mosque at the Fall of
Constantinople to the Ottoman
Turks under Sultan Mohammad
II in 1453
• Its rich figurative mosaics were
covered with plaster and
replaced by Islamic motifs

Hagia Sophia
• It was for almost 500 years the
principal mosque of Istanbul
• Hagia Sophia served as model
for many of the great Ottoman
mosques of Constantinople
such as the Shehzade Mosque,
the Suleiman Mosque, and the
Rustem Pasha Mosque
• After continuing as a mosque
for many years, it was in 1934
turned by Turkish authorities
into the Hagia Sophia Museum

Byzantine Arch. in Other Places
Introduction
• Byzantine churches, each with a central dome
opening into surrounding semi domes and other
vault forms and accompanied by the
characteristic iconography proliferated
throughout the Byzantine Empire Greece,
Balkans, Asia manor, part of north Africa and
Italy
• It also influenced the design of churches in
western Christendom
• The later churches however lacked the power
and vigor of the Hagia Sophia and were of a
smaller scale compared to it

Introduction
• As Byzantine architecture spread, it also
developed with a regional flavor
• Many cities built Byzantine churches that
were reflective of regional practices
• Some of the most prominent ones are
Santa Sophia Kiev, Saint Basils Moscow,
Monastry of Hosios Loukas, and Church
of Graenica Yugoslavia

Santa Sophia, Kiev
• Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev
was named after the Hagia
Sophia cathedral in
Constantinople
• The first foundations were laid in
1037 by prince Yaroslav
• The church measures 37 X 55
meters
• The cathedral has 5 naves, 5
apses, and 13 cupolas (domes)
• It is surrounded by two-tier
galleries from three sides
• In 1934 the cathedral was
confiscated by the Soviets and
turned it into an architectural
and historical museum

St Basils, Moscow AD 1551-1536
• Commission by Ivan the Terrible of
Russia and built as the capitals
main parish church
• The ground plan is an eight pointed
star at the center of which is a
rectangular chamber and an apse
• Eight domed tower chapels are
distributed around the central
chamber
• In Saint Basil Moscow, the
Byzantine dome finally became
onion shaped tops of towers,
• The Byzantine program of interior
lighting and decoration was also
lost
• Instead, it was replaced by the use
of brilliant exterior colors

Monastry of Hosios Loukas
• Built around 1020
A.D.
• It has a complex plan
with 8 piers carrying
its large central dome
• The church plan
integrates a cross in
square with an
octogan dome
scheme
• The result is an effect
of interpenetrating
space

Monastry of Hosios Loukas
• Combined with
lights from its dome
and its decoration it
give a clear
expressing of its
Byzantine
character
• On the outside, its
construction
materials reflect
local practices

St Marks, Venice
• St Mark is also a notable
example of Byzantine
architecture
• It lies on St Mark's Square,
one of the most famous
squares in the world
• The church has five domes
each toping a square
• The church is based on a
Greek cross floor plan,
based on part on the Hagia
Sophia and the Basilica of
the Apostles, both in
Constantinople

St Marks, Venice
• Each arm of the cross is of
the same length and is
covered by a dome
• A dome also covers the
square space at the center
• While the basic structure
of the building has been
little altered, its decoration
changed greatly over time
• The front façade is Gothic
and was added much later

Buildings & Other Arch
Elements

Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
• Early Christian and Byzantine architecture was
a continuation of the Roman Empire
• Buildings and building practices continued from
the Roman period to the Early Christian and
Byzantine period
• All Roman civic and Residential buildings were
used during the Early Christian and Byzantine
period
• The only new element and the focus in the
examination of the Early Christian and
Byzantine Architecture is the Christian church

Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
• The spread of Christianity in Rome led to the
evolution of the Christian place of worship
• The form of the early church was not new but
an adaptation of the Roman Basilica
• This form later evolved into an alternative
church plan that was either round or lobed
• The Byzantine church form evolved much later
than the Early Christian church forms

Materials, Construction & Tech.
• The Early Christian and Byzantine period also
had access to similar building materials and
construction technology as the Roman
civilization
• Building Materials were common between the
two locations
• Where materials were not available, they were
imported from colonies of the empire
• In construction technology, the greatest
contribution during the Early Christian and
Byzantine era was the discovery of the
pendentive and Dome on pendentive

• Using pendentives and Dome on pendentive,
Byzantine architects were able to adapt the
circular profile of a dome roof to a square
plan
• By using several overlapping domes,
Byzantine architects were able to create an
intricate interior structural system and
external roof system
• Intricate interior structural systems combined
with decoration and lighting created
fascinating interior effects

Technology
• The Early Christian and Byzantine period saw
the most extensive use of clerestory windows
• From early basilica churches to Byzantine
churches, clerestory windows were used to
provide lighting in the interior of churches and
together with decoration enabled the creation of
interesting interiors

Principles of Arch.
Organization

Principles of Arch. Organization
Introduction
• It is possible to understand forces and
principles shaping Early Christian and
Byzantine architecture by examining the
following issues:
– Religious Ritual
– Symbolism
– Construction Technology

Religious Rituals
• The various ritual that comprise Christian
religious worship played a fundamental part in
the evolution of the Christian place of worship
• Design closely mirror rituals of the religion
• The initial choice of the Basilica was because of
its easy adaptability to a Christian church
• Later when practices started changing, the
alternative church forms evolved
• Ritual practices and function played a more
significant influence on church form during the
Early Christian period than during the Byzantine
period

Symbolism
• Symbolism also played a significant role in the
evolution of the form of the Christian church
• Spirituality and mysticism were integrated into
the experience of church spaces
• During Christian architecture, Symbolism in the
experience of space become a predominant
issue in design
• The use of light and decoration to create
fascinating interiors but function still
predominated

Symbolism
• During the Byzantine period the Church itself
became a symbol of the faith
• The Church is viewed as a house of god and its
design and construction as a reflection of this
symbolism
• The scale of the church was therefore
increased and its decoration became more
complex
• In this respect we see a contrast between an
overriding emphasis in Early Christian
architecture on function and rituals, and in
Byzantine architecture on symbolism

Construction Technology
• Construction technology was a major influence on
Church form during the ECB period
• The Basilica was chosen during the Early
Christian period partly for its ease of construction
• Ease of construction means places of worship
could be provided for the expanding believers
• During the Byzantine era, discovery of
pendentives and dome on pedentives changed
technology for church construction
• Provided means to achieve church forms that
reflected the significance of churches as house of
God

HOA-IV Early Christian.ppt

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