for reference only

1. Module 8
Roman Architecture

2. Module Outline
• Lecture 1
– Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
• Lecture 2
– Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Influences- The Etruscans
• Engineering Innovation and achievements
• Roman Buildings
• Lecture 3
• Roman Buildings
• Lecture 4
• Other architectural elements
• Roman city Planning and Design
– Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

3. Module 8 Lecture 1
Roman Architecture

4. Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 1
– Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs

5. Historical Background

6. Historical Background
Location
• Roman architecture refers to the
architecture of Rome and of the
Roman Empire
• The Roman Empire was one of the
largest early empires in history,
stretching from England in Northern
Europe to the Ancient Near East and
Africa
• The pink area of the Map shows the
greatest extent of the Roman Empire
• Rome, located on the Italian peninsula
was the capital of the empire
• From the capital, an infrastructure of
roads and communication systems
was established to connect the whole
empire
• Rome is today the capital of Italy

7. Historical Background
Period
• The city of Rome was founded in 753 BC.
• Roman civilization with Rome as capital
lasted for more than a thousand years.
• The history of the civilization can be
divided into three periods;
– 753- 510 BC Etruscan Period
– 510 – 44 BC Republican Period
– 44 BC – 476 A.D. Imperial Period

8. Historical Background
Period- Etruscan Period
• Romans fix the date of the founding Rome at
753 B. C.
• Prior to this date, the Etruscans
established an urban culture in the Italian
peninsula, which reached the height of its
development around 600 B.C.
• They had conquered and established their
authority over a loose federation of cities
• Rome at its foundation was a minor city
and became a colony of the Etruscans

9. Historical Background
Period- Etruscan Period
• Rome was ruled by Etruscan Kings aided by a
popular assembly
• Towards the end of the 6th century B.C.,
Etruscan power began to decline
• In 509 B.C. Rome revolted against their king
and established an independent city state
• Further decline in the power of the Etruscans
was accompanied by the rising influence and
increasing significance of Rome

10. Historical Background
Period – Republican Period
gradually assumed leadership of a number of
and dominance of Rome
dominant force in the region
146 B.C., Macedonia in 168 B. C., Greece in
Representative government
• After the expulsion of its Etruscan Kings, Rome
settlements for mutual defense
• This gradually led to the expanding influence
• By 273 B. C. Rome became the established
• It conquered its rivals, defeating Cathage in
146 B.C., and Syria in 64 B. C.
• With time Rome also developed a system of

11. Historical Background
Period – Republican Period
• Rome was government by a body of elected male
representatives of the population known as the
Senate
• This is why the period is referred to as republican
or in other word democratic
• Towards the end of the last millennium B.C.
Rome entered into a series of civil wars which
brought about the rise of some military dictators,
of which Julius Caesar was the most successful.
• This brought about the end of the republican
period

12. Historical Background
Period – Imperial Period
• Following a series of civil wars that ended in 27
B.C. Caius Ocatavius, who later took the name
Caesar Augustus assumed the title of emperor
• This ushered in the Imperial period of Roman
history
• Emperor Augustus undertook a significant
reorganization of the Roman Empire
• The golden age of architectural development
was witnessed during this period
• He revitalized national life and created new
building works

13. Historical Background
Period – Imperial Period
• Augustus was credited with saying that he
met Rome a city of brick and left it a city of
marble
• Later it was to transform to a city of concrete
• The 3rd century A.D. was a period of political
confusion in the Roman Empire
• The Barbarian people living in the north of
Europe started attacking the Empire
• In 286 A.D. Roman Empire was split into two;
a western empire and an Eastern empire

14. Historical Background
Period – Imperial Period
Empire again in 324 A.D. and established
which he renamed Constantinople
a new
each had a different destiny
Rome fell after century of attacks by Vandals
Constantinople survived and became the focus
it was sacked by the Ottoman Turks
• Emperor Constantine was able to reunite the
capital for the empire at the city of Byzantium,
• After his death, the Empire was split again and
• In 476 A.D. the western empire with its capital
at and Visigoths ending the history of that part
• The Eastern Empire with its capital at
of a civilization that lasted until 1453 A.D. when

15. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
conquered provinces
Civilization
living on the Italian peninsula and other foreign
people of different origins
Rome and its environment
non citizens; citizenship can be conferred on non
• Introduction
– The Roman Empire consisted of Rome and all its
– Rome was the capital and focus of the Roman
– Roman society was made of the Latinized people people
belonging to the conquered provinces
– The society was not homogenous as its puts together
– Latin was the widely spoken language, particularly in
– The Roman people were classified into citizens and
citizens

16. Historical Background
Social Characteristics &
Beliefs
• Introduction
– Citizenship confers the right to vote, make
contracts and have a legal marriage
– Citizens are divided into two classes; members of
the Roman Senate belonging to the highest social
class and other citizens
– The Roman people were essentially farmers and
traders
– Many also aspired to became solders and
warriors; being a warrior provided one of the best
means of advancing in the society

17. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Social Life
– Roman society had an active social life
– The forum was the center of social life; it is very
similar to the Greek Agora
– The forum was the place for social, political,
recreational and religious activities
– Romans participated in a lot of entertainment
activities

18. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Social Life
– These activities include spectator sports such
as drama, chariot racing, and gladiatorial
contest
– They also had new unique social activities such
as recreational bathing
– The practice saw Romans going to a public bath
at luxurious bathing through chambers of different
temperature
– In the process they engaged in both intellectual
and physical interaction

19. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Religious Beliefs
– Roman people were not deeply religious, particularly
during the early part of their development
– They did not have religious beliefs and mythologies of
their own, but borrowed from societies they come into
contact with.
– Contact with other people always resulted in changes to
their culture, art and way of life
– Most of their religious beliefs were borrowed from the
Greeks, and like the Greeks, they also believed in a
number of Gods

20. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Religious Beliefs
– The Romans believed that the faith of their empire
lies in the hands of their various Gods
– The state spent money to built temples to the
various gods
– Public assemblies, such as senate meetings, war
victories and most state functions were always
started with sacrifices to a particular god in his
temple
– The religious well being of the individual
Roman was his own concern

21. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• System of Government
– The System of government in ancient Rome was
democratic
– During the Republican period, Government consisted of
two elected consuls, a senate and judiciary
– The consuls acted as the executive arm of government
overseeing the activities of the senate, army and other
executive institutions such as tax collectors and police
– The senate was an assembly of selected land owners, the
upper class of Roman society, who approve budgets and
suggest laws

22. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• System of Government
– Members of the senate are elected from a series
of lower assemblies who are responsible for
enacting the laws suggesting by the senate and
also implementing them;
– The judicial branch consist of 6 judges who were
elected every two years, who decide punishment
for criminals
– During the imperial period, the Consuls were
replaced by Emperors who wielded a lot of power

23. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Roman Architecture
– The Environment around Rome was not as rich as
the Greek mainland in construction material
especially marble
– Romans construction material consists of Stone,
principally local travertine and timber
– Roman also invented a system of firing brick and used
brick widely in construction
– Romans were also the first people to discover concrete;
Roman concrete is different from our present day concrete
– Romans made significant improvements to the arch to
address its shortcoming

24. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
based on the arch and dome
brick as formwork and concrete
very large interior spaces
as bonding material
wooden truss construction
Greek Architecture and the architecture of the
Greek trained
• Roman Architecture
– They also developed new construction systems
– The combination of arch and vault construction with
enabled the Romans to construct great buildings with
– Roman construction also developed the system of
– The architecture of Rome has its origin in Hellenistic
Etruscans
– Most Roman architects were either of Greek origin or

25. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
classical Greek architecture
ornaments applied to great concrete buildings.
orders that are very important.
orders to form the classical language of architecture
temples, in the scale of buildings and the proportion of
Roman architecture concentrated on the creation of
• Roman Architecture
– The Romans adopted the external language of
– In Roman architecture, the orders survived simply as
– But the Romans also made unique additions to the
– New orders evolved and were added to the Greek
– Romans also made additions in the entablature of the
entire design.
– While the Greeks are said to be the inventors of form,
space

26. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
classical architecture
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio in 100 A.D.
and procedures for creating architecture of value
in the design of a particular building, but in the
circuses for racing, amphitheatres for gladiatorial
the forum as the center of public life and national
• Roman Architecture
– The Greek and Roman architecture are referred to as
– The first book on architecture was produced by
– The ten books of architecture written sets down rules
– The genius of Roman architecture was expressed not
production of a vast number of various building types
– Roman buildings include bathhouses for bathing,
contest, temples for religion, domus for family life and
commerce

27. Historical Background
Social Characteristics & Beliefs
• Other Achievements
– Other contributions of the Romans include the Roman
alphabets which is widely used in Western and Central
European languages and the Roman numerals
– The Roman also introduced the calendar which even
thought it has changed several times before assuming
its current form has endured to the present day
– The influence of the Roman Empire's is visible in the
government, law, and monumental architecture, as well as
many other aspects of Western life
– The various contributions of the Roman civilization to
modern life has resulted in its classification along with
the Greek civilization as Classical civilizations

28. End of Module 8 Lecture 1

29. Module 8 Lecture 2
Roman Architecture

30. Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 2
– Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Influences- The Etruscans
• Engineering Innovation and achievements
• Roman Buildings
– Theaters
– Amphitheater- Coliseum

31. Architecture of the Civilization

32. Roman Architecture
Early Influences- The Etruscans
• The Earliest civilization in the region around Rome were
the Etruscans
• The Etruscan civilization existed in the northern part of
what is now Italy, prior to the formation of the Roman
Republic.
• During the 700s BC, the Etruscans developed into a series
of autonomous city-states: Rome was a part of these city
states
• Knowledge about the Etruscans is fragmentary, and
usually filtered through Roman eyes;
• The Etruscans created the first visible civilization in Italy.
• They brought sophisticated Eastern and Greek culture to
the region.

33. Roman Architecture
Early Influences- The Etruscans
• Not much has survived of
Etruscan buildings to the
present however.
• The temple shown in the
image is a reconstruction of a
typical Etruscan temple
• The Etruscans introduced
another order of architecture
• This order, known as the
Tuscan order became popular
with the Romans

34. Roman Architecture
Early Influences- The Etruscans
• The Tuscan order had a
simpler base and the shaft
was without flutes
• The capital and entablature
were also without decoration
• In proportion it is similar to
the Doric order with a column
that is seven diameters high
• Compared with the other
orders, the Tuscan order
looks the most solid

35. Engineering Achievement
Introduction
• Romans created what can be referred to as a structural
revolution
• This revolution centers on their understanding and use of
the arch and vault
• They also discovered the groin vault
• Because of this structural revolution, they were able to
span large openings in buildings and other structures
with economy and strength
• They were also able to design and construct buildings
with large interior spaces
• The revolution also allowed the Romans to construct
large engineering structures such as bridges to connect
all parts of their empire, and aqueduct to supply water to
their cities

36. Engineering Achievement
Structural Innovation- Arches
• The arch was not a new
building form, as it had been
known by other civilizations
including the Egyptians and
the Greeks
• But the Romans used it to its
fullest potential
• The arch is an organic
structure with the elements of
the arch resting on each other
and transferring load to the
column
• It was particularly useful over
doors and openings

37. Engineering Achievement
Structural Innovation- Arches
• With an arch, there are no
tensile stresses as all the
forces are in compression and
building stone has enormous
compressive strength
• Up to a certain point also, the
more an arch is loaded the
stronger it becomes
• Arches were used over doors
and openings and sometimes,
they are built over a lintel to
deflect the load to the
surrounding walls.

38. Engineering Achievement
Vaults
• Vaults are used to cover an area as a
roof
• The simplest of the vaults is the Barrel
vault, which is just made up of an arch
extended over a certain distance
• It can be adapted to suit different
types of plans by making simple
modifications to it
• The disadvantage of the vault is that it
exerts a continuous load and therefore
needs some form of continuous
support
• It is also difficult to light the space
under a vault except from the ends
• The Romans invented unique ways of
overcoming these difficulties

39. Engineering Achievement
Vaults
from the barrel vault to
problems of the ordinary vault
two barrel-vaults at right angle
concentrated at the corners
continuous support
directions means that ample
area below it
• The cross vault was created
overcome some of the
• This is formed by intersecting and is
called a “groin vault”
• The weight of the groin vault is
eliminating the need for
• The opening of the space in 4
light can be provided to the

40. Engineering Achievement
Vaults
• The image shows an example of
the use of arches, vaults and
groin vaults in a Roman building
• The major limitation of the groin
vault is that it is limited to a
square plan
• The dome was another structure
that was used in roman
architecture.
• The Romans used the true
dome with its fully rounded
perfection

41. Engineering Achievement
Concrete
• The Romans were the first to develop concrete
• The concrete developed by the Romans is
different from modern concrete and is made up of
lime, sand and water
• Around the 2nd century BC, Pozzolana or
volcanic ash was also added
• Concrete did away with the need for stone
quarries
• It also did away with the need for the shaping
and transportation of stone and for high skilled labor
for stonemasonry

42. Engineering Achievement
Concrete
• Concrete has the advantage that it can be cast in
any shape and in far larger sizes than the
megalithic blocks of stone used in buildings
• With concrete, it was possible to construct
monolithic vaults and arches
• Concrete buildings were normally faced with
other materials to hide the ugly look of the
concrete.
• Fired brick used as formwork was the most
popular covering material

43. Engineering Structures
Introduction
Romans enabled them to introduce
never seen before their time
a variety of
structures enabled them to build significant civil
sewers
generally cities need a steady supply of fresh
of more than a million at the peak of its power
• The structural revolution introduced by the
new civil structures and building programs
• The ability of the Romans to create large
structures including aqueducts, bridges and
• The Romans lived principally in cities and
water
• Rome itself was projected to have a population

44. Engineering Structures
Introduction
• Arcuated structures or Structures built with
arches played a major role in bringing this water
to the city
• The technique of arcuated construction was also
applied to the construction of bridges
• Rome also had a sanitary system to take away
waste water from the city and large warehouses
to service the needs of its port

45. Engineering Structures
Road and Bridges
example of ancient Roman structural
impressive of the surviving Roman
wide spanning arches
27 meters in length
above the River
center of the Bridge; the
name of the architect of the bridge
• The Trojan’s Bridge Alexandria is an
achievement
• It is also amongst the most
bridges
• The bridge consist of tall piers and
• The central arches are slightly above
• The roadway is carried 48 meters
• A commemorative arch stands at the
commemorative arch bears the

46. Engineering Structures
Aqueducts
• Aqueducts were used to
supply water to Roman cities
• The Pont Du Gard is probably
the most magnificent of the
Roman aqueducts
• It was constructed around 50
A.D. to supply water to the city of
Nimes
• The Aqueduct in some places
is almost 50 meters above
the deep valley of the River
Gard

47. Engineering Structures
Aqueducts
• It was constructed of 3
tiers of arches

48. Engineering Structures
Aqueducts
• The Aqua Claudia is
also another example of
Roman aqueduct
• The Aqua Claudia
was one of the eleven
aqueducts that supplied
Rome with water
• The aqueduct
supplies water to Rome
over a distance of 66
kilometers

49. Roman Buildings
Introduction
spaces
functions from the Roman architect
that answer to their functional requirement by providing
basilicas, circuses, basilicas, temples and baths
fabric of the city
• The focus of Roman building design was on functional
• The Roman people demanded buildings of various
• The architects were able to respond, creating
buildings appropriate interior spaces
• The buildings types include theaters, amphitheaters,
• All of these buildings were erected within the dense
• We will examine each of these building types

50. Roman Buildings
Theaters
theater transforming it into
stage and the whole
wall
theater was
into the landscape
was an urban form located in a
consists of massive structural
• The Romans adopted the Greek
something Roman
• There was an expansion of the
contained within a high-unbroken
• The Greek Theater was blended
• In contrast, the Roman
Theater flat city
• The structure of the theater
arcades on piers

51. Roman Buildings
Theaters
• A purely cosmetic layer of
trabeation was added to the
front
• The trabeation was of the
Greek orders and gave scale to the
building
• It also creates a rhythm of solids
and voids on the elevation
• The three orders of Greek
architecture were used on the
theater elevation
• Theaters were built in every
Roman City

52. Roman Buildings
Theaters
and drama
constructed
constructed
between 23 to 13
in the capital Rome
theater
from the rear, providing access
front
wall
• The Theater was used for acting
• The Theater Marcellus
B.C. was the first theater
• It is a good example of a Roman
• Access to its banked seat is
circumferentially
• A stage runs from end to end in
• The stage is enclosed by a tall

53. Roman Buildings
Amphitheater-Introduction
structure with no Greek
building used for spectator
important outward distinction
a theatre is that amphitheatre is
in Pompeii in 80 BC, but the
amphitheater is the colosseum
• The amphitheater is a roman
equivalent
• Amphitheatre is a public
sports, games and displays
• Apart from function, the
between an amphitheatre and
round or oval in shape
• An amphitheater was first built
best example of the Roman

54. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
in Rome
Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D. and
including gladiatorial combat
were killed in the one hundred
opening
spectacular games that included;
prisoners by animals and other
the arena, and combats between
• The Colosseum is an amphitheater
• Its construction began under the
was completed in A. D. 80
• It was used for spectator sports
• It is said that 9,000 wild animals
inaugural days celebrating its
• The Colosseum hosted large-scale
fights between animals, the killing of
executions, naval battles via flooding
gladiators

55. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
• It has been estimated that
about 500,000 people died in
the Colosseum games
• The colosseum is elliptical in
shape
• It measured 48 metres high,
188 metres long, and 156 metres
wide
• The wooden arena floor was
86 metres by 54 metres, and
covered by sand
• The colosseum had a seating
capacity for 50,000 spectators

56. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
ingeniously designed; most
influenced by the Colosseum's
elliptical ring capable of
capacity of the facility
amphitheater is very much like
and concentrically to support
• The Colosseum was
spectacle venues have been
structure into modern times
• The seating formed a uniform
supporting the 50,000 spectator
• The substructure of the that of
the theater
• Vaulting was used both radially
the structure

57. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
that opens into a tier of seats from below or
was each staircase
into their seats and upon conclusion of the
the surrounding streets
primum, for the other Roman aristocrats
was divided into three sections
citizens, while the upper part was for poor
structure at the very top of the building,
• The Colosseum also had a passageway
behind
• Each entrance and exit was numbered, as
• The passages quickly dispersed people
event disgorged them with abruptness into
• Seating was divided into different sections
• Above the podium was the maenianum
who were not in the senate
• The third level, the maenianum secundum,
• The lower part, the was for wealthy citizens
• A third, wooden section was a wooden
added by Domitian

58. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
the Colosseum was its
covered net-like structure
the center
takes place is located at the
the "underground", a network
gladiators and animals were
• The most ingenious part of
cooling system
• It was roofed using a canvas
made of ropes, with a hole in
• The Arena where the action
center of the ellipse
• Underneath the arena was
of tunnels and cages where
held before contests began

59. Amphitheater
Coliseum, Rome
and the hypogeum walls and
the ruins of the building
elevation in the same manner as
continuous use until 217, when it
lightning
gladiatorial games continued
end to some sports
• The arena floor no longer exists,
corridors are clearly visible in
• The orders were used in the
on the theater
• The Colosseum was in
was damaged by fire from
• It was restored in 238 and
until Christianity gradually put an

60. End of Module 8 Lecture 2

61. Module 8 Lecture 3
Roman Architecture

62. Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 3
• Roman Buildings
–Circuses
–Bath
–Temples
–Basilica
–Residential Buildings
• Other Elements
–Triumphal Arches

63. Roman Buildings
Circuses
• The Romans developed circuses or stadium for
horse and chariot racing
• Every city usually had one located close to the
forum
• The circuses had stalls at one end where the
chariots emerge at the beginning of the race and
a track which they race around
• The structure of the circus is very similar to that
of theaters and amphitheaters
• Circus Maxima is an example of a Roman Circus

64. Circuses
Circuse Maxentius
of the oldest
transformation over the period of
form around 400 A.D.
200 meters in width
and there are stalls for 12 race
covering a distance of about 3.6
• It is located in Rome and is one
• It went through a series of its
existence
• The image shown is its final
• Its is 600 meters in length by
• The circus had 3 tiers of seat,
houses or chariots
• Each race was of 7 laps
kilometers

65. Roman Buildings
Bath
exercise, bathing and relaxation
Bath to address that need
and they
swimming or washing
some point, they took it more serious than
to go to a Bath once a day to relieve stress
• The Romans had a unique need for
devised a unique architectural element, the
• The roman bath was more that just merely
• This practice became so popular that at
their gods
• It was a daily practice of almost all Romans

66. Roman Buildings
Bath
body to various levels of heater air and water
room, the apodyterium, a series of at least two heated
swimming pool, or natatio for cold plunges
frigidarium
on hot
with special attendants to oil and towel bathers dry
greatest baths were the public ones built for the
• The bathing procedure involves a pattern of exposing the
• The core program of the bath consist of a disrobing
rooms, the tepidarium, and a hot room or cauldarium
• Besides the heated rooms, the bath may also have a
summer days or a cool unheated room called the
• Bathing also dries the skin so baths also provided rooms
• Wealthy people and Emperors had private both, but
the
populace

67. Roman Bath
Bath of Caracalla
• The bath of caracalla is a
good example of a Roman
bath and among the best
preserved
• The bath is set free
standing within a square
precinct enclosed by walls
• The precinct has a water
reservoir to the south,
supplied by an aqueduct
to service its water need

68. Roman Bath
Bath of Caracalla
• The reservoir is located
beneath a stadium used for
athletic contest
• The east and west walls have
a curved exedra that defines
space for cultural activities
such as library, music
performance, philosophical
lectures, etc
• The front wall has a series of
shops with the entrance at
the center

69. Roman Bath
Bath of Caracalla
• The main bath building is
rectangular, 225 meters
by 115 meters and is
situated within the walled
precinct
• It has a perfect bilateral
symmetry along its
north-south axis
• The bath has a large
dressing hall,
apodyterium at the
center of the building

70. Roman Bath
Bath of Caracalla
• A swimming pool or Notato is located
to the north of it, while a tepidarium
and a domed circular cauldarium is
located to the south of it, where it is
more sunny
• A series of supplementary rooms,
including Gymnasium and bathroom
suits are arranged symmetrically on
two sides of the building
• The structure of the bath of carracalla
is made up of vaults, arches, groin
vaults and domes
• The interior also shows how the
Romans have been able to adapt the
Greek orders and treatment to arch
and vault construction

71. Roman Buildings
Temples
and Greek prototypes
with widely space columns in front
steps providing access
Maison Carree in Nimes
the highest achievement in temple architecture is the
• Temples were a significant part of roman architecture
• Scores of temple were built during every period
• Most of the roman temples were combination of Etruscan
• The typical temple had an axial plan, an entrance porch
• The temple also had a cella or sanctuary
• The whole temple is raised on a high podium with frontal
• A good example of the early form of the temple is seen in
• The best preserved of the temples and the one showing
Pantheon

72. Roman Temples
Maison Caree, Nimes
Nimes France
Agrippa
influence on early roman
long, 15.5 meters
meters high
wide and
Corinthian columns in front,
• Maison Carree is located in
• It was built by the Emperor
• The temple shows Greek
temples
• The temple is 26.5 meters
raised on a podium 3.3
• It is a temple with 6
10 diameters high

73. Roman Temples
Maison Caree, Nimes
• Its podium is three and
half times the height of
the entablature with 15
access steps in front
• It has an entrance
porch that is 3 columns
deep
• The temple has a cella
that is one and half
times long as its wide

74. Roman Temples
Maison Caree, Nimes
• The walls of the cella
have attached half
Corinthian columns
on its visible three
sides

75. Roman Temples
Pantheon
surviving of all classical
highest achievement of
and 128 by the Emperor
earlier temple by Agrippa
dedicated to all the Roman
Pantheon
• The Pantheon is the best
buildings
• It is also represents the
Roman architecture
• It was built between AD 118
Handrian on the site of an
• It was built as a temple
Gods, hence the name

76. Roman Temples
Pantheon
consist of two parts; the an
circular part or rotunda
wide and 3 columns deep
the temple
Corinthian order
storeys high on the outside;
faced concrete and support
• The Pantheon essentially
entrance portico and a
• The portico is 8 columns
and leads to the entrance of
• The columns are of unfluted
• The wall of the rotunda is 3
they are made up of brick
the dome roof of the temple

77. Roman Temples
Pantheon
• The interior has eight
large niches with one
serving as the entrance
and the remaining seven
used dedicated to the
seven major Roman Gods
• The Dome roof forms a
perfect sphere with a
diameter of 142 feet in the
interior

78. Roman Temples
Pantheon
• At the head of the dome is a
30ft wide occulus, that opens up
the great dome to the outside
and illuminates the space with
light
• The interior was built of
Egyptian granites, African
colored marbles and pure white
marbles from the Aegean
• The Pantheon combines
scale, boldness and mastery of
every architectural art.

79. Roman Buildings
Basilica
categories of roman architecture
contained interior colonnades that
apse at one end
divided the
higher than the flanking aisles, so that light could
Greek stoa
• Basilicas are among the most important
• There were no basilicas before the Roman era
• The basilica are rectangular and usually
space into aisles at one or both sides, with an
• The central aisle tended to be wide and was
penetrate through the clerestory windows
• The function of the basilica is close to that of the

80. Roman Buildings
Basilica
court to dispose of legal matters
was built in Rome in 184 BC
constructed for traditional purposes
finished by Constantine after 313
during the
audiences also became a feature of the palaces
Basilica Maxentius
• It is also the place where magistrates to hold
• The oldest known basilica, the Basilica Porcia,
• The most splendid Roman basilica is the one
reign of the pagan emperor Maxentius and
• In the early Imperial period, a basilica for large
• We will examine the Basilica Ulpia and the

81. Roman Buildings
Basilica Ulpia
by Emperor Trajan in the
imperial forum
120 meters in length over the
central hall, 25 meters wide
double colonnades
circular apses at it’s two
• The Basilica Ulpia was built
period A.D 98-117 for his
• Basilica Ulpia stretches for
width of the Trajan forum
• The Basilica consists of a
surrounded on all sides by
• The Basilica had two semi-
ends

82. Roman Buildings
Basilica Ulpia
• The walls of the Basilica
were finished with multi-
colored marble; also
referred to as
polychromatic marble
• The whole structure was
covered with a truss roof
• Basilica Ulpia represent the
generic form of the Roman
Basilica,
• It is this form that will later
be adopted by the
Christians for their church

83. Roman
Basilica
Buildings
Maxentius
started by the Emperor
completed by the Emperor
as Basilica of Constantine
buildings of the Forum
different from other tradition
was derived from the central
• The Basilica Maxentius was
Maxentius in A.D. 308 but was
Constantine in A.D. 312
• It is also sometimes referred to
• It is one of the impressive
Romanum
• The Basilica Maxentius is
basilicas, because its design
halls of imperial Roman Baths

84. Roman Buildings
Basilica Maxentius
• It is however larger in scale than
any of the baths that was built
• The ground plan covers 100
meters by 65 meters
• The building is divided into a
central nave and side isles
• The central nave was 80 by 25
meters and was covered by 3
groin vaults with a maximum
height of 35 meters
• The side isles were 16 meters
wide, divided into three sections
• There is very little that is left of
the Basilica now

85. Roman Buildings
Residential Buildings
various types of private
the rank and wealth of the
story tenements where a large
stayed
ground floor and apartments on
around a courtyard for light and
• Roman cities had a range of
dwellings
• The private dwellings reflected
inhabitants
• At the lowest level are the multi-
proportion of the population
• They consisted of shops on the
the upper floors
• The apartments were built
air

86. Roman Buildings
Residential Buildings
• The common roman house
was the domus
• These were reserved for the
more well off members of the
Roman society
• The domus was essentially a
courtyard house, with a
peristyle colonnaded courtyard
• It had few or no windows to the
outside

87. Residential Buildings
Domus Augustana
• At the high end are
elaborate palaces and
villas for the very rich
• The Domus Augustana,
also called flavian’s
palace, is an example of
the high-end residential
palaces
• Domus Augustana was
both a house for the
emperor as well as his
palace for official
functions

88. Residential Buildings
Domus Augustana
peristyle atriums
state function
door from the top
palace is arranged around the
part is a sunken garden in the
emperor, where he can interact
• It was laid out around two
• The atrium to the left is for
• Entry is from an inconspicuous
• The residential part of the
courtyard located to the right
• To the right of the residential
form of a stadium
• This is the private garden of
the
with nature

89. Residential Buildings
Handrians Villa
• Romans also built country villas
or houses, where they could go
to be close to nature
• A very good example of the
country villas, is the Handrian’s
villa built for the Emperor
Handrian
• The Handrian villa displays an
example of the level of wealth
displayed in buildings
• This was a large country
estate spread on a vast terrain

90. Residential Buildings
Handrians Villa
loose arrangement of peristyle
dormitories, baths, libraries
feature of the villa is the play
Canopus
surrounded by a colonnade
alternating straight entablature
framing statuary
• The structure was made of a
halls, fountains, dining halls, and
other facilities
• The most characteristics
of curves and curved form
• This is most evident in the
• This is an elongated pool
• The colonnade is topped by
and segmental arch sections

91. Other Architectural Elements
Triumphal Arches
contributed to the development of several
triumphal arch
monumental gate, usually built to celebrate a
framing the paths that people follow
victories in battles
• Other Than buildings, ancient Romans also
architectural elements
• The most prominent of the elements is the
• A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of
a victory in war
• They are almost always built in the Form,
• Romans started it as a way to celebrate their

92. Other Architectural Elements
Triumphal Arches
intended to be permanent.
can still be seen in modern Rome.
constructed for use for celebratory parades or
religious rite held to publicly honour the military
perform a triumph celebration and be a
• Some triumphal arches are made of stone and
• A number of arches from the city's imperial era
• Temporary triumphal arches were also
ceremony and later dismantled
• A Roman Triumph was a civil ceremony and
commander of a notably successful foreign war
• Only men of senatorial or consular rank could
triumphator as the victorious generals are known

93. Other Architectural Elements
Triumphal Arches
opened by the chiefs of conquered peoples who are
white horses
Rome
Jupiter Optimus Maximus, where the laurels of victory
triumph
forum are the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Constantine
• The ceremony consisted of a spectacular parade,
afterward executed
• The triumphator rode on a biga, a chariot pulled by two
• The parade followed a precise route in the streets of
• It traveled along the Forum until it reached the Temple
of were offered to the god.
• Monuments may then be erected to celebrate the
• Two examples of such monuments in the republican

94. Triumphal Arches
Arch of Constantine
81 and dedicated to the
the military victory over
15.4 meters, a width of 13.5
of stone
construction is evident in the
stability of the arch
• The arch was built in A.D.
emperor Titus
• It was built to commemorate
Jerusalem in A.D. 70
• The arch has a height of
meters and was constructed
• The marvel of its stone
keystone, which ensures the

95. Triumphal Arches
Arch of Constantine
• It has a single opening
flanked on each side by
attached columns of the
Composite order
• The composite order has a
capital that joins the
acanthus leaves of the
Corinthian order with the
volutes of the ionic order
• The face of the arch is
decorated with sculptural
relief depicting the
destruction of the temple in
Jerusalem

96. Triumphal Arches
Arch of Constantine
• The arch of Constantine
was built much later that
than of Titus
• It was built to
commemorate the victory
of Emperor Constantine
over Maxentius in A.D.
312
• Its form shows an attempt
to create an arch more
majestic than that of Titus

97. Triumphal Arches
Arch of Constantine
• It has three arched
openings, a larger one in
the center flanked by two
smaller ones
• There are four free
standing columns in front
framing the arched
openings
• It is also abundantly
decorated, depicting the
victory in relief sculpture

98. End of Module 7 Lecture 24

99. Module 8 Lecture 4
Roman Architecture

100. Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 4
– Roman City Planning and Design
– Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

101. Roman City Planning & Design
Principles
• Roman cities fall into
two broad categories
• Majority grew in an
unplanned manner over
the centuries forming
complex organic
entities, to which
sometimes order was
introduced
• Rome is a good
example

102. Roman City Planning & Design
Principles
• The other category consist of
Castrum type cities, a type of
military camp developed with
an inflexible regularity of
shape-
• A well preserved example is the
city of Timgad in North Africa
• This was a city laid out by
Trajan in A.D. 100 as a colony
for military veterans
• The town was laid in a grid of
12 blocks within a square
1,200 feet wide

103. Roman City Planning & Design
Principles
• The planning of most cities fall in between the two
extremes of organic growth and rigid grid planning
• All cities had a forum, theater, bath, market etc.
• Many of the cities contained buildings that were copies or
local versions of key monuments in Rome
• Focus in city design is on integrating civic buildings with
public spaces and residential neighborhoods
• Each public building had interior spaces that responded to
functional requirement with the spaces also linked and
connected with the public spaces of the city
• The Forum was the center of the Roman city

104. Roman City Planning
Forum
& Design
the Romans
ceremonial center of the civilization
architectural space that became a part of all roman cities
whose buildings are subordinate to the space, in the
dominate the space
basilicas, and bath
• The forum was the descendant of the Greek agora for
• It began as a market place
• It rapidly became the commercial, political and
• In the process it developed into an elaborate
• Unlike the Greek agora which is informal in plan, and
roman forum, the organization is more formal
• The buildings surrounding it are normally large and
• Buildings commonly found in the forum include temples,

105. Roman City Planning
Forum
& Design
central inside space
West End; religious ceremonies were celebrated at the
more exterior space of the city
a memorial to the conquering rulers and to the glories of
always differences between the forums in different cities
the Roman forums
• Each individual major building in the forum was given a
• Governmental function were usually arranged on the east
end
• The inside space of buildings was connected to one or
• Columns, statues and triumphal arches were erected as
the empire
• No two roman forums are really alike, as there are
• In Rome with its two forums, we find a good example of

106. Roman City Planning & Design
Republiclan Forum
• The Republican Forum is
also called the Forum
Romanum
• It was the oldest and most
important forum in the city
• Soon it became an
important market place
• By the 5th Century B.C.
the various functions
associated with the forum
began to assume their
architectural shape

107. Roman City Planning & Design
Republican Forum
• Additions, modification and
growth by successive republicans
and emperors led to its development
• By 400 A.D. the forum had
accumulated not less than 10
temples, 4 basilicas, 4 triumphal
arches and many other monuments
and shrines
• All of these were arranged with
no preordained order
• The buildings therefore loosely
define the space of the forum

108. Roman City Planning & Design
Imperial Forum
• During the reign of Julius
Ceasar, he attempted to
reorganize the Republican
forum but realized that it had
become too congested for
rational order
• He therefore decided to build a
new forum adjacent to but
outside the republican forum
• This idea was picked by
successive emperors, who
added to it to create the imperial
forum

109. Roman City Planning & Design
Imperial Forum
• The imperial forum is not one
forum, but five forums with each
supporting the other
• There was variety in their form,
but they displayed rational
order in their organization
• Each of the forum consisted of
colonnaded atrium with a
temple at its head
• Of the five temples that of
Trojan was most majestic, with
the basilica Ulpia sitting across
it and two libraries on either
side of the central court

110. Roman City Planning & Design
Architecture and Urban Design in Rome
• In Rome we find the best
example of both Roman
architecture and city design
• The image shows a
reconstruction module of a part
of Rome at the height of its
development
• From the image, the organic
growth of the city is evident and
is reflected in the fabric of the
city
• Buildings are densely packed
together, separated by a
network of narrow pathways

111. Roman City Planning & Design
Architecture and Urban Design in Rome
• Within the fabric, all the Roman
building types can be identified
• These include The circus
Maxentius, The Domus
Augustana, Roman Theater, An
Aqueduct, A Roman Temple,
The Basilica Maxentius, and
The Republican and Imperial
Forums
• From the image, the clustering
of important buildings close to
the forum is highly evident

112. Architectural Characteristics

113. Buildings & Other Arch
Elements

114. Buildings & Other
Building
Arch. Elements
Types
of a particular building
needs of a complex society for different building types
been built before
circuses for races, amphitheaters for gladiatorial
the forum as the center of public life
spaces configured for specialized activities
rather than as a form generator in Greek Architecture
• The genius of the roman architect was not in the design
• Rather, it is in the way they were able to meet the for
a thousand years
• They produced a wide range of buildings that had never
• Roman buildings included bathhouses for bathing,
contest, temples for religion, domus for family life and
• Roman architects design the buildings with interior
• The Greek order was reduced to a decorative element

115. Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
Engineering Structures
• Romans also contributed several engineering
and architectural objects to human civilization
• The most prominent engineering contributions
are in road and bridge structures and in the
construction of aqueducts
• Road and bridge construction allowed the
Romans to connect the various parts of their
empire
• Aqueducts allowed them to supply their cities
with water

116. Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
The Orders
orders
very popular in use
Corinthian and Ionic capitals
storey and the miniature order used to decorate
Triumphal arches
celebrate victories in battles
• Romans also contributed to the development of the
• They made the Tuscan order developed by the Etruscan
• They developed the composite order, which combines
• They developed the giant order which spans up to
two windows
• The Romans also contributed in the development of the
• Triumphal arches were constructed in Roman cities to

117. Materials, Const. & Tech.

118. Materials, Construction
Materials
& Tech.
success of Roman architecture.
imported from other Roman colonies
and timber
Roman architects to design and vast buildings for
• The choice of building materials contributed to the
• Roman building materials were very diverse and rich
• Materials that were not available locally could usually be
• Roman building materials included stone, marble, brick,
• The art of producing fired brick was a Roman invention
• Romans also invented concrete
• The combination of concrete and brick formwork enabled
different uses

119. Materials, Construction & Tech.
Construction
construction system of the civilizations so far
principles of arch and vault construction and were
with concrete and fire
architectural dreams
brick formwork provided
involved the manipulation of space like that of the
• The Roman Civilization had the most innovative
studied
• Roman architects understood the underlying
able to innovate to address their shortcomings
• The combination of arch and vault construction
the Romans with the technology to achieve their
• No previous civilization had an architecture that
Romans

120. Materials, Construction & Tech.
Construction
• In fact, roman architecture was essentially space
shaped by vaults, and walls for the purpose of
ordered activities
• In terms of building technology, the contribution of
the Romans includes the development of the arch
and barrel vault on freestanding piers.
• Romans also introduced the use of timber trusses
in roofing
• In the Pantheon, we find Roman construction
technology at the height of its application

121. Materials, Construction & Tech.
Technology
Building services and technology is in the aspect
ancient Romans to supply water to their cities
supply water to meet the needs of its one million
a system of waste water collection and disposal
water that is channeled outside the city for
• The greatest contribution of the Romans in
of water
• The development of the aqueduct enabled
• Rome at the height of its development had to
inhabitants
• Along with water supply, the Romans developed
• Sanitary sewers were used to collect waste
disposal

122. Principles of Arch.
Organization

123. Principles of Arch. Organization
Principles
• Three forces appear to shape the direction
and form of Roman architecture
– Function
– Construction Technology
– Adaptation to new ideas and knowledge

124. Principles of Arch. Organization
Function
• The principal organizing principle of Roman
buildings is function
• Function is evident in the emphasis on spaces
• Almost all Roman buildings provided spaces for
functional use
• Roman architecture also de-emphasized the
rigidness in the use of the Greek orders
• They transformed the orders from a determinant
of building form to decoration on gigantic
buildings

125. Principles of Arch. Organization
Construction Technology
understanding their construction technology
Romans from any creative limitations
process creating new building types and form and
architects to produce buildings with vast interior
transform the orders from structural elements to
• Understanding Roman buildings also requires
• Development in construction technology freed the
• They were therefore able to experiment, in the
also pushing the limits of structural possibilities
• Construction technology also allowed Roman
spaces
• Construction technology enabled Romans to
mere decorative ones

126. Principles of Arch. Organization
Adaptation to New Ideas and Knowledge
understood by understanding the Roman
different people and places
people and places, they are also exposed
new ideas and knowledge and adapt these
• Roman architecture can also only be
attitude to innovation
• Romans were constantly in contact with
• As they come into contact the different
to different ideas and ways of doing things
• Roman people were always willing to lean
for their use

127. Principles of Arch. Organization
Adaptation to New Ideas and Knowledge
assimilate ideas from different places,
the Carthaginians
and knowledge, they
uniquely Roman
were also able to
their innovative social life and to the
• Such adaptation allowed them to
including the Greeks, the Egyptians and
• But when Roman people learn new ideas
adapt them and create ideas that were
• It is this will to learn and adapt that led to
evolution of Roman architecture