The Imperial Vaulted Style and the Cosmos

I. The Pantheon (“temple to all gods”): The imperial “vaulted style” in temple architecture

The Pantheon, Rome, Italy, AD 118-128; Apollo of Damascus, arch.

The PantheonI.

I. A. Ritual: entering the Pantheon’s world: four compositional elements and formal analysis

Pantheon (Roman)Parthenon (Greek)

I. A. 1. Colonnaded court (does not survive) a. How did imperial hyper-symmetry reinforce a feeling of interiorness?

The Pantheon

The Pantheon

I. A. 2. Octastyle porch a. What kind of entrance does the octastyle porch provide?

The Pantheon

I. A. 2. b. column material and origin?

I. A. 3. Rectangular transition block a. as a visual transition between the porch and the rotunda?

The Pantheon

I. A. 4. Rotunda: the cosmos revealed

I. A. 4.

oculus: 30' diameter, 5' thick concrete

The Pantheon

coffering is purely illusionary device

I. B. A universe in symbolism: What planetary symbolism is inscribed in the Pantheon “cella”?

5 diminishing rings of 28 coffers

28 days = moon

oculus = sun

5 rings = 5 known planets = 7 celestial bodies

7 niches for 7 divinities

The Pantheon

I. C. 1. a. In what terminal volume does the main axis end?I. C. Concrete and the vaulted style in detail: The great vaulted interior as a metaphor for the all- encompassing Empire as a cosmos 1. Plan: How is Roman axiality discreetly introduced into the otherwise centralized plan?

I. C. 2. How is variation introduced into the plan and the elevation?

The Pantheon

on the cross axis on the diagonal axis

I. C. 2. a. What is an example of the primary system of decoration?

The Pantheon

I. C. 2. b. What is an example of the secondary system of decoration?

Greek importance of stasis, stability, logic, rationality

Imperial Roman architecture: apparent rationality informed by senses

I. D. Imperial context: the illusion of autonomy in the vast imperial interior 1. How does the Pantheon interior “instruct (intoxicate) the senses?”

I. D. 2. How does the vaulted style give the impression of unlimited autonomy?

Greek trabeated styleTrajan’s Forum – the Basilica

Imperial vaulted stylePantheon

“affinity between the potential for action and the architectural forms” (MacDonald 178)