ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

Introduction
• The ancient Roman style is said to be a reproductive form of the Greek and
Etruscan architecture.
• Together they are considered to be a body of classical architecture.
• Although the Romans have borrowed much of the Greek style, they have
used their own knowledge in construction to improve the arch and vault for
the architectural community.
• Some of the many achievements the Romans used in the nature of their
architecture are the arch, dome, vault, column, and aqueduct.
• These accomplishments were large steps that added to the understanding of
architecture today.
• By reaching these feats the Romans were able to create many impressive
building and structures.
 ROMAN PHILOSOPHY

"We believe that lightning is caused by clouds

colliding, whereas they believe that clouds collide in
order to create lightning.”
Since they attribute everything to gods, they are led to believe not that
events have a meaning because they have happened, but that they
happen in order to express a meaning."
Architectonic Typology
• Roman Architecture has a rich typology that includes:
• Religious building: temple
Civil buildings:–
Public: basilicas, baths
Spectacles: theatre, amphitheatre, circus
Commemorative: Triumph arch, column
Domestic: house, village, palace
Funerary: tomb
Engineering works:-
Bridges
Aqueducts
ORIGINS OF ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

• Romans need interior space

for worship, whereas the
Greeks worshipped outside.
• Their solution was to extend
the walls outward, creating
engaged columns, while
maintaining the same basic
shape.
Building materials and tools
• The Romans used many materials to create
everything from masonry pastes to walls and
flooring.
• These are a few of the materials used:
-Chalk
– Sand Wood
– Pozzolanic concrete Terracotta
– Broken pottery Ceramics
– Pumice stone Tin
– Lime Iron
– Sandstone
– Marble
– Granite
Building materials and tools
• Similarly to today, the Romans used many different
tools to survey the land and construct buildings.
• These are a few of the tools that were use:
• Dioptre • Saw blades
• Levelling staff • Folding rule
• Groma • Chisels
• Axes • Gouges
• Hammer
• Adze • Square
• Lathes • trepan
• Saws
• Planes
• Flies
• Calipers
 Ro m a n I n n o v a t i o n
TUSCAN
SIMPLIFIED DORIC HAVING UNFLUTED COLUMN AND A PLAIN BASE, CAPITAL AND
SHAFT HAVINGN DECORATION OTHER THAN MOLDINGS
COMPOSITE
IT COMBINED ELEMENTS OF BOTH THE IONIC AND CORINTHIAN
ORDERS.
 CONCRETE
• The discovery of slow-drying concrete,
made with pozzolana sand created a
revolution in architectural design.
• This allowed not only bases, but also
walls to be constructed of mainly
concrete or concrete and rubble.
• Facings could be made of more
expensive stone or inexpensive brick.
• The result was strong structures that
could be formed in any desirable shape
CONSTRUCTING WALLS
• In ancient Rome there were a series of techniques that could be used
to create walls.
• A form of brickwork that consists of diamonds Opus Reticulatum Wall
happed tufa blocks and applied with mortar.
Opus incertum- constructing technique that uses irregular shaped
uncut rocks that are applied with mortar.
Opus mixtum- application of diamond shaped tufa blocks and bricks
that are applied with mortar.
Opus Reticulatum

Opus incertum- Opus mixtum

 ARCH & VAULT
• The Romans first adopted the
arch from the Greeks, and
implemented it in their own
building.
• An arch is a very strong shape as
no single spot holds all the
weight and is still used in
architecture today.
• The Romans used arches to
support the things they built.
• They built victory arches,
buildings and aqueducts.
 B ARREL OR “ VAULT TUNNEL
”

• A vault having semicircular cross-

section Windows can be placed
at any point.
• These vaults require buttressing
to counter-act the downward
thrust of weight
 GROIN VAULT
• Also called a cross vault.

• A compound vault formed by

the perpendicular intersection
of two vaults forming arched
diagonal arises called groins.

• Needs less buttressing.

 MULTI GROIN VAULTS
• A series of groin vaults
can have open lateral
arches that form
Clerestories.
• Windows that allow
light into the interior
of churches.
These concrete
windows were fire
proof
 DOME
• A dome is a vaulted structure
having a circular plan and usually
the form of a portion of a sphere,
so constructed as to exert an
equal thrust in all directions.

• Romans used domes to span and

cover very large open spaces.

• They used it in many public

buildings like basilicas, the
pantheon etc.
 CYLINDRICAL DOME

• With the dome, the Romans

could surpass earlier cultures by
their ability to span space.
• Light enters through the oculus
on top.
 THE AQUEDUCTS
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY
• There wasn’t enough water in the city of
Rome.
• The Romans brought water in from the
surrounding countryside.
• The water was brought in by tubes called
aqueducts.
• Cities them selves were plumbed,
PONTDUGARD,FRANCE
providing private water for the rich and
for baths and communal

PIPES AND PLUMBING

 WHERE DID THE WATER GO?
• The water was transported in
concrete tunnels.

• The water flowed in a tube on the

top of the aqueduct called a water
channel.

• The arches supported the water

channel.

• The water flowed through a

rectangular channel.
• The channel was lined with concrete.
• The Romans invented concrete.
 ROADS
TRANSPORT SYSTEM

• The need to move

legion sand trade
goods in all
weather led to the
development of
the best roads in
the world (to the
19th century)
ROMAN BUILDINGS
 ROMAN BUILDINGS
• PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT–AMPHITHEATRE AT NIMES

SEATS ABOUT 20,000

Theatre sand arenas were built to hold multiple thousands of
people and were engineered so as to allow quick and effective
entry and exit.
 PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM

• Brings together the violence and the

achievements of Roman society .
• Home of gladiatorial contests…man
vs. man, man vs. animal, animal vs.
animal
• Seating designed for comfort with an
expandable covering over the top
• Plumbing which could wash away
the blood or create an ‘inland sea’
on which to have mock sea battles
 Roman Colosseum
• Constructedbetween70-82AD
• Amphitheatre used for gladiator
competitions and other public
event.
• Able to seat almost 87,000 people.
• Created by masonry and cut
stones.
• Made out of travertine stone,
mortar , bricks and iron clamps.
• Contains arches, columns, arcades ,
and podiums.
 Pantheon
• The date in which the original Pantheon
was constructed is unknown, but it was
rebuilt in 126 AD.
• Roman temple built to honor all of the
gods.
• Named for all of the statues placed
around the building and its resemblance
to the heavens.
• This circular building is constructed with
sky. a grand porch, three rows of
columns, and a dome with a centered
oculus to the
• The Pantheons dome is still the largest
unreinforced concrete dome in the world
today.
THANK YOU