The Pantheon
Name: Chenfei Cao
Course:Arch 162- M 12
The
Pantheon
The
Pantheon, which is derived from the Greek language meaning the temple of all
gods, was formerly a temple for the Romans. In present day, it is a church. It
is one of the best-preserved buildings in the Roman history, simply because it
has remained under continuous use from as early as the 7th Century.
The Pantheon is circular with an entrance porch of ten vast granite columns
arranged in two ranks (Henry 1977). Its circular nature, with a conservative
porch front, is a distinctive characteristic in Roman architecture. However, it
became a standard model when traditional styles were revitalized and thus has
been copied continuously by other architects.
In
the aftermath of the Battle of Actium (31 BC), Marcus Agrippa started an
impressive building program: the Pantheon was a part of the complex created by
him on his own property in the Campus Martius in 29–19 BC, which included three
buildings aligned from south to north: the Baths of Agrippa, the Basilica of
Neptune, and the Pantheon. It seems likely that the Pantheon and the Basilica
of Neptune were Agrippa's sacra privata, not aedes publicae. This less solemn
designation would help explain how the building could have so easily lost its
original name and purpose in such a relatively short period of time. The
present building was built by Roman emperor Hadrian and was reportedly
dedicated in the 126AD. He reserved the original blueprints of Marcus Agrippa
who had commissioned its building between 27BC and 14AD. The building was
initially constructed by a flight of steps which were later abandoned as a
result of the level of the ground being raised. It had bronze sculpture
decorations on its pediments. According to Mark Wilson, the building had been
designed for monumental columns of granite with shafts that would weigh
approximately a hundred tons. However, the constructors made numerous stroppy
modifications which possibly resulted in logistical problems at a particular
period in the construction.
There
are slots on the walls, which were apparently supposedly meant for erection of
statues of some famous Roman leaders like Julius Caesar or perhaps for the
statues of Roman gods (William 1976). The building also had big doors which
were made of bronze and plated with gold. These were however abandoned in the
15th Century where the current doors, which appear unfit for the
large door frames, were built.
Henry
CE. Structural & Environmental Design
from Ancient Egypt. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1977.
William
ML. Pantheon: Design, Meaning and Progeny.
Cambridge: Havard University Press, 1976.
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