The architecture of the Pantheon and Its History - Coursework Example

Joshua Duffey ARC 2701- History of Architecture On-line Summer C Florida International The Pantheon: The Oldest Standing Building in Rome The Pantheon was at first constructed under Agrippa in 27 BC but the whole credit of transforming it in its present architectural beauty goes to Emperor Hadrian, in AD 118-25. The building is a cylindrical drum, 21.5 m (71 ft) in height, containing a hemispherical dome of the same spoke. Google Picture. The Pantheon. Arch. Marcus Agrippa. Rome, Italy. 27 B.C. The entrance is in the form of gable in Corinthian style, earlier accessed by five steps from a porch forecourt beneath the current street level. The ancient look of the porch provides no clue of the surprise inside, which is planned as an inside space of huge size. WWW.BDONLINE.CO.UK. Picture by Gareth Gardner. Author: Renato Benedetti. June 2010. Issue: 1919. The Pantheon. Arch. Marcus Agrippa. Rome, Italy. 27 B.C. The inside of the dome is furnished with five concentric circles of deeply-sunk coffers, 28 in each ring. At the top of the dome is an oculus (8.2 meters in diameter), the only means of the natural light illuminating all the corners of the dome internally. The building is totally made of concrete, the overall attentively selected from the heavy travertine and tufa of the lower walls, through tufa and brick, brick only, and brick and pumice, to pumice only near the oculus. As it reaches the top level, the shell of the dome shrinks in thickness (“Pantheon”). The Pantheon is an architectural wonder constructed 2000 years before. One can- WWW.BDONLINE.CO.UK. Picture by Gareth Gardner. Author: Renato Benedetti. June 2010. Issue: 1919. The Pantheon. Arch. Marcus Agrippa. Rome, Italy. 27 B.C. -not remain untouched by the marvel of this dome that impresses one and all alike. It is equally magnificent now and at the time when it was built. It is not easy to find buildings spanning 2,000 years and standing still with reverence in the eyes of visitors for its architectural finesse; what more, it is still in use. The Pantheon attracts visitors from all the nook and corners of the world, wondering at this marvel of architecture while sitting on the stairs of the Pantheon for 2000 years (Benedetti 15). The Pantheon creates an impression of a building belonging to some other planet; such a feel comes from its craftsmanship. It gives the visitors an impression of strength, which comes from the innovative design of the Pantheon. The view of the building is just magical, particularly in black and white as in the picture above. For example, the use of concrete has been made innovatively, requiring thin layers of concrete to minimize weight and stresses in the top layers of the dome. The dome of Pantheon is till now the only single biggest non-reinforced concrete dome. Behind its huge brick walls lay a line of alleviating arches that add to its finish and body image. The humongous bronze doors are functional. It is because they are standing on pivots that provide increased strength relatively to a hinge. It seems each pivot must be as heavy as a small house (Benedetti 15). WWW.BDONLINE.CO.UK. Picture by Gareth Gardner. Author: Renato Benedetti. June 2010. Issue: 1919. The Pantheon. Arch. Marcus Agrippa. Rome, Italy. 27 B.C. All the buildings around the Pantheon are newer. It is surrounded by tight lanes of the increasingly populated baroque city, offering tempting scenes. The front portico is spacious enough to accommodate the visitors to breathe with the Piazza della Rotonda. The main front leads the piazza with its magnificent gable and the 16 huge grey Egyptian granite columns; these columns add grace to the Pantheon although they are in plenty in the city. Whichever path one takes to reach the Pantheon, the size of the drum and humongous columns is sweeping (Benedetti 15). WWW.BDONLINE.CO.UK. Picture by Gareth Gardner. Author: Renato Benedetti. June 2010. Issue: 1919. The Pantheon. Arch. Marcus Agrippa. Rome, Italy. 27 B.C. A close-up look of the huge columns kindles a feeling of relative smallness of people but at the same time while shrinking but full of exuberance, as given in the picture below (Benedetti 15). The Pantheon pervades and overpowers the surroundings totally with its majestic appeal. It has been able to preserve its magnificence and majesty even amidst the rush of visitors. Suddenly, one starts recognizing the significance of vacant space near and between structures, the public places. One can attempt to gauze the scale of such public spaces as the Pantheon by revolving a Frisbee; away from the visitors’ rush (Benedetti 16). The worn-out feature of the huge brick and stone stairs, flooring and columns complement to the quixotic appeal of the Pantheon, the building, which has seen the passing time of centuries (Benedetti 16). Analyzing the reasons that the Pantheon has lasted the harshness of time, it was its adoption by the Catholic Church. The support of the Church saved it from destruction but some parts of the building were ravaged for other projects. The dome’s coffer was initially laid in bronze but in the 7th century bronze was torn away while the bronze from the portico was peeled away in the 17th century. Good thing is that the Pantheon is so vast that it is equally magnificent even without the bronze. Counting the uses and misuses done by the time, these have glorified its historical might (Benedetti 16). The mightiest of the buildings shine over the historic past, which can be a subject of research for the students of architecture, as in modern times buildings are constructed to last only one generation. Other than the building itself, its cultural and political importance of the building, and that of its client Hadrian’s wide knowledge of the arts and his liberal attitude was equally interesting. He was a great supporter of architecture. Being a powerful and influential person, he was endowed with aesthetic taste. When he attained power, he travelled immensely as a ruler, spreading out the culture of his world. While roaming through the world, he came across various cultures and architectural creations, which inspired his creativity at the Tivoli estate. He knew the lineage going back to the time of golden age in Greece. The Pantheon is the exhibition of that feeling of the temple of all gods. It is a combination of that broad-mindedness, exuberating in cultural variations (Benedetti 16). The Pantheon creates the curiosity to comprehend things distance from space, such as the difference between light and dark, plain and crude, wet and dry, hard and soft, and scintillating and glossy. The differences between the extremes can be heightened or decreased, which can be a distinction to be achieved. Space, light, and material are the basics of architecture in opposition to the trends in architecture for the students of architecture. More critical is the quality of the material and attention paid by the user irrespective of the expenditure involved (Benedetti 16). The oculus of the Pantheon can encourage students in their learning experience by using the flowing water variously. It helped in creating the T-clamp fixing system that grips the boards 8mm wide without invasive drilling in the Castleford Bridge. It let the light pass through the openings to create a design on the surface and water 6m below. Oculus is one such example that inspires architects to use light variously. Light can be used in circular way on the roof, thus, although Pantheon is not the direct inspiration but oculus inspires the playful use of light (Benedetti 16). The shaking bridge in Hull, a fishing port in Northeastern England, is inspired from the visiting experience of the Pantheon. It is attribution in type, similar to a rolling piazza where one can live, as there is provision of a café in it. The structure revolves 90 degrees on a big platform making it feasible for ships to cross on the sailable side of the river. It is similar to the pivoting Pantheon doors; such use of technology can help in the functioning of the bridge for a long time. Employing circular geometry at the sides and the revolving speed makes it easy for people to board and land down from the bridge even when it is shaky; this is first of its kind in the world. Intermittent activation of the technology can help in the smooth functioning of the bridge irrespective of the river traffic (Benedetti 16). Inspirations from the Pantheon are many, such as for JCB at Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. It is related to construction of a civic park, a housing quarter and a mixed-use commercial space by including the former factory location into the city. Projects such as Pantheon instill a long-lasting creative vision for developing the city, the same that Hadrian as a humanist had in undertaking projects as Pantheon (Benedetti 16). Other projects working from the inspiration of Hadrian’s Pantheon include a number of Christian Science churches. The Christian Science follows the gradually reducing simple aesthetic tradition. Design needs to be created by working on the elemental requirements. Natural light can be used intuitively in building projects. It’s very simple and beautiful to cover a wooden material with very thin shinning fields. One cannot miss visiting Pantheon again and again (Benedetti 16). Latest research based on archaeological excavations and upkeep work have brought a transformation in the old perspective on Pantheon. The off late digging of the Piazza by the Rome Town Council Archaeology Office under the supervision of Paola Virgili and Rotunda by the State Office under the guidance of Mario Lolli Ghetti and Giovani Belardi has revealed objective information, linking it to a new theory on the erstwhile function served by the monument, namely “an imperial audience chamber.” Gert Sperling has discussed the Pantheon in the context of first century AD mathematics and gnomonics. It has radically changed our perception of the Pantheon in the context of its relation with the neo-platonic mathematics, as a layman can easily observe a mathematical connection between the lines and points of the monument. The very floor represents an abacus that can be sized with steps and with eyes to shower praise over its designs and proportions. The monument seems to be an allegory of the universe. Further, the Analemma used in developing sundials points towards the architectonic lines that are drawn to indicate setting of the sun at solstice and equinox (Martines 57-58). There is no mention in the literature about the classical geometry but the Hero of Alexandria tells about the number of columns and architraves. It creates curiosity to know the answers to certain questions, such as: • What is the correct alignment of the Pantheon? • What is the topographic alignment of the Pantheon relative to other ancient buildings and to the Mausoleum of Augustus? • What direction does the sun moves on the lacunaria at noon at the solstice and equinox? • Have some changes occurred in astronomical timings since the year 150 AD? • Which stars are visible overnight via the eye of the dome during the time of the season? Various scholars are working collectively to find an answer to these questions. There have been seen possibilities regarding the Pantheon being an astronomical observatory. This seems to be a far-fetched possibility, as the eye of the Pantheon is not big enough to serve the purpose of an astronomical observatory and small to serve the purpose of gnomonical opening (Martines 58-59). Mathematical explanation of the architecture is always scientific in nature, as calculations are done as based on numbers and theorems but the outcome is not always scientific, as an experiment cannot be similar the next time it is made. In other words we cannot be sure always that a mathematical observation matches always with the historical data. Some parameters need to be developed especially in the context of traditional architecture, which include: 1. Use of mathematics can be made to explain any material experience but it is not a law like the laws of Galileo on pendulum and falling bodies; it is just a mathematical representation of facts not revealed, as it happens in proportions in plan and elevation. 2. The archaeological building itself should testify the proportions and numbers, not the scaled drawings. It is essential to view them with the naked eye to judge the condition of measurement points, instrumental mistakes, and construction material. 3. Research applicable on historical facts needs to be added with documentary evidence of the statement. 4. In the absence of direct resources, references should include treatises and scientific data related to that architecture (Martines 59). The extra-ordinary décor of mathematical research on the Pantheon is because of its superior architecture and the designs of its inner areas; it is the highest example in the world, περισφαιρασ και κυλινδρου (perì sphaìras kài kulìndru), of Archimedes’s sphere and cylinder, one carved in the other. In ancient times, it used to help students learn Archimedes’ universal law, 4/3 πr3. A visitor enters inside the sphere and cylinder of the Pantheon, like in the κοσμω (kòsmo): a Greek word with three meanings: “order”; “beauty”; “world” (Martines 60). There can not be any doubt over the significance of such ancient buildings as the Pantheon for researchers and students of architecture. Works Cited Benedetti, Renato. “It was the Single Most Affecting Building for Me -- It Galvanised My Thinking.” Building Design 1919 (2000): 14-17. Database: Business Source Complete. Web. 18 July 2012. Martines, Giangiacom. “The Relationship between Architecture and Mathematics in the Pantheon.” Nexus Network Journal 2.1-2 (2000): 57-62. ABI/INFORM Global. Web. 18 July 2012. “Pantheon.” The Bloomsbury Guide to Art. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd, 1996. Credo Reference. Web. 26 July 2012. Read More