THE ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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 THE ANCIENT CITY- ROME

Background
• The legendary origin of the city's name is from the traditional
founder and first ruler, Romulus ( his brother was Remus)
• Rome was traditionally founded around 750 BC.
Roman civic places-
Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE ROMAN HISTORY- Timeline

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE EXTENT

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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 THE ROMAN ARCHITECTURE STYLE
ROMAN STYLE :
•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

•One of the many achievements the Romans used in the nature of their architecture are the arch, dome,
Roman civic places-
vault, column, and aqueduct.
Amphitheaters and circuses
•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.

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 THE ROMAN BUILDING MATERIALS
BUILDING MATERIALS :
•The Romans used many materials to create everything from masonry pastes to walls and
flooring.

• These are a few of the materials used:

➢Sand ➢Marble
➢Pozzolanic concrete ➢Granite
➢ Broken pottery ➢Wood
➢ Pumice stone Roman civic places-
➢Terracotta
➢Lime Amphitheaters and circuses
➢ Ceramics
➢ Sandstone ➢ Tin
➢Chalk

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 CIVIC & DOMETSIC STRUCTURES OF ANCIENT ROME
• Temples
• Aqueducts
• The forum
• Theatres, Amphitheaters, the
Coliseum & circuses
• Public baths and Thermae
• Villas, domesticRoman
houses civic places-
• Monuments Amphitheaters and circuses
• Triumphal arches,gates

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 THE FOUNDATION DETAIL
FOUNDATIONS :
•The Romans built there foundations out
of compact subsoil and sometimes even
rock.

•The foundations of Roman buildings were

often 2 to 3m thick.

•Often when the ground was

Roman
damp floorcivic places-
boards would be placed on short pillars
Amphitheaters and circuses
allowing the ground beneath to dry out.

• In important public buildings small clay pipes

and vent were placed in the walls to form a sort of
chimney.

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 THE FLOOR AND ROOF DETAILS

FLOORS AND ROOFS :

•In ancient Rome floors were normally constructed out of wooden
structures and boards.

•The floor boards were laid over cross beams that rested on supports
from the surrounding walls.

•For extra comfort wooden floors were often covered in straw and
Roman civic places-
then covered over in mortar.
Amphitheaters and circuses
•When this is done the floors can even be tiled.

•Roofs were made out of wooden trusses supported by the walls

and covered in tiles.

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 THE TYPES OF WALL CONSTRUCTION
WALLS :
•In ancient Rome there were a series of techniques that could be used to create walls.

•Opus reticulatum- a form of brickwork that consists of diamond shaped tufa blocks
and applied with mortar.

•Opus incertum-constructing technique that uses irregular shaped uncut rocks that are applied with
mortar.
Roman civic places-
•Opus mixtum- application of diamond shaped tufa blocks and bricks that are applied with mortar.
Amphitheaters and circuses

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 THE TYPES OF WALL CONSTRUCTION
•Opus Sectile or Sculatum – Usually cut in various shapes
and used on walls.

•Opus Spicatum – Used specially on floors and is often in chevron or Herringbone pattern

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE WALL CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE CLASSICAL ORDERS OF ROME AND GREEK

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE CHARACTERISTICS ROMAN ORDERS / COLUMNS

• To the three Greek orders the

Romans added the composite
order, a blend that
superimposed the scroll-like
volutes of the Ionic capital over
Corinthian acanthus
• They also made a composite
base by introducing an Ionic
Roman civic places-
base into a Doric shaft
Amphitheaters and circuses

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 THE TUSCAN ORDERS / COLUMNS
➢Tuscan order, also knownas Roman Doric

➢It has been described as the solidest and least ornate.

➢Very plain design, with a plain shaft, and a simple capital,

base and frieze.

➢ Unfluted shaft

➢In proportions it is similarRoman

to the Doriccivic
order. places-
Amphitheaters and circuses
➢Shaft has no decoration other than moldings.

➢Column shaft sits on a base. It is thinner and uniform.

➢ Height of entablature is shorter.

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 THE COMPOSITE ORDERS / COLUMNS
•Mixed order, combines the volutes(scrolls) of the Ionic with the
•acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order.

•It combined elements of both Ionic and Corinthian order is

• modified by superimposing four diagonally set Ionic volutes
•on a bell of Corinthian acanthus leaves.

•Column shaft sits on a base. It is thinner and uniform.

• Double layer of acanthus leaves

Roman civic places-
Amphitheaters
•Larger volutes extend beyond edges of abacus.and circuses

• Combines Ionic with Corinthian.

• Generally the composite is similar to the Corinthian in proportion

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 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMAN TEMPLES
➢ Rectangular sometimes circular in plan
➢ A blend of Etruscan and Greek elements
➢ A deep porch with freestanding columns
➢ a frontal staircase giving access to its high plinth, or platform.
➢ The traditional Greek orders, or canons (Doric,
Ionic,Corinthian), were usually retained, but the Romans
alsodeveloped a new type of column capital called the composite
Capital, a mixture of Ionic and Corinthian elements,

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE PANTHEON (temple)

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The Pantheon - History
➢In 27-25 BC, it was the site used by Agrippa, who wanted
to dedicate it to Augustus Caesar, his father-in-law.
➢When Augustus declined the honour, it was dedicated to
the major gods (Mars, Venusetc.)

➢It was rectangular in shape.

➢The current building was rebuilt between 118 and 125

AD, during the reign of Hadrian.

➢It the 609 AD the building was transform into a church,

dedicated to Santa Maria dei Martyri, after the bones of
Christian martyrs were bought here from the catacombs.

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The Pantheon
➢ The Pantheon is the first temple to combine the technique of
concrete construction with Greek classical orders.
➢Pantheon – A brilliant composition of geometric forms.
➢ The main components of the building –
• The portico,
•The rotunda and
•The dome.

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The Pantheon
➢The ceiling is an unreinforced concrete dome resting on a Coffers dome
thick circular wall or rotunda. Oculus
➢The circular opening at the top of the dome is called the Buttressing
Oculus, providing light and ventilation.
➢The Pantheon has a coffered dome.
➢This reduces the material used for construction and
therefore the weight of the ceiling. Rotunda
➢In the cross-section of the roof it get
thinner as the dome gets higher.

Method of Construction
➢Very light stone called pumice, which
float on water, were used as the raw
material with the concrete. It further
reduce the weight of the dome.

7 recesses for 7 gods

Piers
Portico

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The Pantheon
• The porch has 24 Egyptian
gray granite columns in
front and side, four Egyptian
red granite columns beside
the entrance, their height is
14m.
• The capital and the base of
columns are white marble
which are same product of
Parthenon.
• The Roman Pantheon is
the largest unreinforced
solid concrete dome in the
world,

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The Pantheon -Interior

The pantheon interior

• The interior is a perfect circle its diameter and height are
exactly same, 43m.
• The circular plan represents the sphere of the world

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The Pantheon -Interior
The pantheon interior
• The hemispherical dome has the
skylight oculus of 8.9m in
diameter.
• The void oculus brings the
silent light to the real wall and it
moves in the time and the
space.
• The floor is paved by the
marble with circular and cubic
pattern. The wall is covered
with marbles which colors are
basically yellowish brown,
white, green and reddish-brown.

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Roman civic places-
Amphitheaters and circuses

➢Unlike Greek theaters, which were situated on

natural slopes,Roman theaters were supported by
their own framework of piers and vaults and thus
could be constructed in the hearts of cities.
➢ Amphitheaters (literally, double theaters) were
Roman
elliptical in plan with civic
a central places-
arena, where
Amphitheaters
gladiatorial and animal and circuses
combats took place
(Gladiator), and a surrounding seating area built
on the pattern of Roman theaters

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THE COLOSSEUM

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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THE ROMAN EMPIRE -map

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

A map of central Rome during the Roman Empire, with the

Colosseum at the upper right corner

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The Colosseum; Italy,Rome; 72 A.D.
➢ The construction was initiated by the Emperor
Vespasian around 72 AD. His son Titus reigned over
its completion and the official opening ceremonies,
about 8 years later, in 80 AD.

➢ It got its popular name, the Colosseum, because

of Nero's Colossus (30-metre bronze statue) that the
Emperor Nero created in the vestibule of his Domus
Aurea, Roman civic places-
Amphitheaters and circuses

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➢ It was Built of travertine, tuff, and brick-faced concrete , it is the largest amphitheatre
ever built.
➢It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters
(510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide,
➢ It having an base area of 24,000 square metres (6 acres).
➢ The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet).
➢The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet).
➢ The central arena is an oval 87 m (287 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a
wall 5 m (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.
Roman civic places- EXTERIOR
VIEW
Amphitheaters and circuses
PLAN- Oval The exterior of the
Colosseum, showing the
or elliptical partially intact outer wall
in shape (left) and the mostly
intact inner wall (center
and right)

INTERIOR
VIEW

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 THE PLAN DIMENSIONS

189 meters long

156 meters wide

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

24,000 square
meters (6 acres)

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 THE CENTRAL ARENA
an oval

87 meters long
Roman civic places-
Amphitheaters and circuses

55 meters wide

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➢ The huge theater was originally built encompassing four floors.The first three
had arched entrances, whilethe fourth floor utilized rectangular doorways.
Women & Slaves
➢The floors each measured between 10.5-13.9 meters in height
Poor
➢The total height of the Wealthy
plebeians
construction was approximately plebeians
48 meters

The Equites
Roman civic
& knights places-
Amphitheaters and circuses

The most
important
Romans

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➢The Colloseum had a total spectator capacity of 45,000-55,000, who gathered to watch the
gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle reenactments, animal
hunts and executions.
➢ The Amphitheater is built of travertine outside, and of tufa and brick in the interior.

➢ It has a total of 76 entrances and 4

additional entrances for the emperor, other About
VIPs and the gladiator 80
➢ the entire audience could exit the building entrances
in five minutes
Roman
➢ The interior was divided into civic places-
three parts: Amphitheaters and circuses
❑the arena,
❑ the podium,
❑ and the cavea. accommodate
50,000
spectators

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 ➢The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic
metres (3,531,467 cubic feet) of travertine stone which were set
without mortar; they were held together by 300 tons of iron clamps
➢The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Doric, Ionic,
and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with
Corinthian pilasters.
➢ Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed
statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical
mythology.
➢ Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the
Romantopcivic places-
of the attic.
➢They originally
Amphitheaters supported a retractable awning, known as
and circuses
the Velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators
➢Earthquakes and stone-robbers have left the Colosseum in a state
of ruin, but portions of the structure remain open to tourists, and its
design still influences the construction of modern-day amphitheaters,
some 2,000 years later.

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CIRCUS MAXIMUS
➢ The Circus Maximus is an chariot-racing stadium and mass
entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between
the Aventine and , it was the first and largest stadium in anc
PalatineHillsient Rome and its later Empire.
➢ It measured 621 m (2,037 ft) in length and 118 m (387 ft) in width and
could accommodate over 150,000 spectators.
➢ In its fully developed form, it became the model for circuses throughout
the Roman Empire. The site is now a public park.
• A large, oval track where the
Roman civic places- chariot races took place.
Amphitheaters and circuses• The chariots were open, two or
four-wheeled vehicles pulled by
horses and used for hunting,
battles, racing, and processions
• The Romans loved the races as
they were very exciting with
many spills and crashes. Often
charioteers were killed.
However, if they were good,
they might become popular
heroes.
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CIRCUS MAXIMUS
PUBLIC BATHS

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PUBLIC BATHS

• After a morning's work at the office or shop, most

Roman's enjoyed spending the afternoon at the
thermae or public bath. Men and women enjoyed
coming to the baths not only to get clean but to meet
with friends, exercise, or read at the library.
• There were around 952 public baths of varying sizes
in Rome
• Roman baths and thermae, were used for much more
than simply washing.
• They combined aspects of a modern health club
with that of a public library and school.
 Thermae of Caracalla –
➢ Built in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninius better known asCaracalla.
➢ Contained shops, restaurants, exercise yards, libraries, and lecture halls and reading rooms all arranged
around spacious gardens filled with sculptures.
➢It was for the amusement of all roman citizens not just for the ealthy.
➢ More than 1600 bathers of one gender could be accommodated at one time
➢It covers an area of 33 acres (351m x 378m)
➢ Two levels of underground stores, furnaces, and hot air ducts heated the baths, while complex plumbing
ensured a constant flow of water from the Aqua Marcia aqueducts

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Thermae of Caracalla – LAYOUT PLAN

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Thermae of Caracalla – MAIN BUILDING
➢Total area 27 acres complex (11 hectares).

➢Main building at the centre and covered by a

thick wall consists of libraries and gym and also
gardens.

➢6 feet height for loading purpose.

➢Main building have upper level for service and heating

and lower level for water drainage.

➢Heating reservoir by Aque Marcia Aqueduct.

➢The bath was known because of the rich interiors

of marble seats, mosaic walls and floors as well as
fountain and statue.

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Thermae of Caracalla – BUILDING ZONES AND MATERIALS

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
➢Precinct maximum: 412x393 m
➢ Internal: 323x323 m
➢Central Block overall: 218x112 m
➢Swimming Pool: 54x23 m
➢Frigidarium: 59x24 m, height . 41 m
➢Caldarium: 35M diameter height . 44 m

QUANTITIES OF MATERIALS
➢ Pozzolanna: 341,000 m³ ➢Basalt for foundations: 150,000 m³
➢Quick lime: 35,000 m³ ➢Brick pieces for facing: 17.5 million
➢ Large Bricks: 520,000
➢Tuff: 341,000 m³ ➢Marble columns in Central block: 252 M
➢arble for columns and decorations: 6,300 m³

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
INTERIOR

VESTIBULES

➢Function like a lobby or an entrance

room between the interior of the building
and outer space.

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
APODYTERIUM (DRESSING ROOMS )

➢A first stop place for bathers before they get

to a step by step baths.

➢Equipped with benches and often cubicles to

store bather’s clothes.

➢Commonly one slave will stay to watch the

bathers belongings.

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
PALAESTRAS
(EXERCISE YARD)

➢A facilities serve for training in

boxing and play a kind of ball game.

➢Those activities will makes bathers to

have some moderate exercise before they
get to baths.

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 Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR

➢CALIDARIUM

➢A hot room with a hot pool of water – 35m

diameter.

➢This pools helps to open the bathers pores and also

help them to sweats.

➢A wing of the underground levels under the

caldarium. The large dimensions of the galleries
derived from the necessity to bring in horse-drawn
wagons full of wood.

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
TEPIDERIUM

➢A warm room

➢Also a place where the bathers can have a

massage and body hair removed.

➢Become the most busy place because of the

activities.

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
FRIGIDARIUM

➢Is a cold room.

➢This place functioned to closed the pores

and get the final cleaning step in overall
bathing steps.

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 Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR

NATATIO

➢Is an open air swimming pool.

➢This place functioned as a place for relax and

refresh the body of the bathers.

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Thermae of Caracalla - Surroundings
GARDENS

➢Gardens that consist statues, fountain and

any others feature

➢After bathing, people can walk around the

garden after a typica day.

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
GYMNASIA

➢And adjacent facilities from the main

building.

➢Place where people have exercise similar to

present gymnasium.

Roman civic places-

Amphitheaters and circuses

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Thermae of Caracalla - INTERIOR
STUDY ROOM

➢Or a libraries for people facilities.

➢Have two separated libraries which is one for

latin and another for greek language.

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Thermae of Caracalla – Analysis of plan
1) From the schematic plan constructed we can see that the building have a balance sides and in linear
organisation.

2) One side for men’s and another side for women’s department.

3) The important rooms of apodyterium and palaestras is at the same sized and location at the two sides.

4) And the caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium and natatio located in line at the centre of the main building.

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Thermae of Caracalla - CIRCULATION

4
3
5
2
6
1 7

1) The building is constructed with the best building circulation.

2) But this bath of Caracalla does not function as a public bath only. It also function
as a social centre where business and trades also happened among people
here.

3) We can say that this building functioned like a leisure mall in this present.
Thermae
SECTIONof Caracalla - SECTION

1) The building have two levels which is the lower

level is a place for the system used to heating several
rooms and also for the drainage.

2) Upper level is a place where all features like

statue and fountain located and for all human
activities.

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 Thermae of Caracalla – Interior
GROINS THREE ROUND ARCH

ARCHIVOLTS
(Ornamental molding
following the curve on the
underside of an arch)
JAMB COLUMN

JAMB FIGURE

COLONNETTE
PIERS (A small, relatively thin
column, often used for
decoration or to support
an arcade.)
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Thermae
ELEVATION of Caracalla – Façade

KEYSTONE
THREE ROUND
ARCHES
EXTRADOS

INTRADOS (exterior curve

of arch)
VOUSSOIRS

SPRINGING IMPOST

(the level where an (The uppermost

arch or vault rises part of a column
from asupport) supporting arch)

JAMB

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 AQUEDUCTS in general
➢The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout
their Republic and later Empire, to bring water
from outside sources into cities and towns.
➢Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines,
fountains, and private households; it also supported
mining operations, milling, farms, and gardens

➢Aqueducts moved water through

gravity alone, along a slight overall
downward gradient within conduits
of stone, brick, or concrete; the
steeper the gradient, the faster the
flow

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AQUEDUCTS-Pont Du Gard

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AQUEDUCTS –Pont Du Gard
Pont Du Gard
➢The highest aqueduct ever built by the Romans
➢ Built of unadorned, precut stone blocks
➢ It preserve original style of Augustus era. Now the
bridge exists about 300m long, 49m above of the river.
➢ The bottom arches, which spans are 15.75m to 21.5m,
are about 155m long, 20m high.

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 AQUEDUCTS
➢On the top of the bottom arches is a 7m wide road which has expanded for
the traffic of cars in 1743.
➢ The middle arches are same spans of the bottom arches and the length is
about 265m in total. The height of middle part is about 21m and width is 5 m.
➢ On the top of the 35 small arches, about 8.5m high 3m wide, support the waterway.
➢The big arch, the bottom arch and middle arch, have 3 times or 4 times of the small
arch in span and 6 times of the small arch in height.
➢There was only 17m fall from the headwaters to Nimes and that meant the incline
was 34cm per 1km.

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AQUEDUCTS-Pont Du Gard

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 Basilica in general
What is a Basilica ?
A Basilica is a large, wide rectangular hall, roofed overall and divided
internally into a central section flanked by aisles.

Nave :
A long narrow passage that formed the main part of the building, lined
on either sides by the aisles.

Aisle:
• The aisles were located on either side of the nave.
• The aisles were set off by a row of columns.

Apse:
• The apse is located at the end of the basilica.
• This is where the raised platform or the tribunal would be located.

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Basilica Of Trajan

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Basilica Of Trajan

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 Basilica Of Trajan
➢ The Basilica Ulpia was an ancient Roman civic building located in the Forum of Trajan.

➢ It was named after Roman emperor Trajan whose full name was Marcus Ulpius Traianus.

➢ The largest in the city was part of Trajan's Forum and was probably completed in 112 AD..

➢ It was the largest in Rome measuring 117 by 55 meters (385 x 182 ft).

➢ It was rectangular in shape, had five aisles and apses at the short ends.

➢ The main entrance was on the facade of the building facing the open plaza of the forum.

➢ The facade was punctuated by three porches.

➢ Between the porches were three colossal statues of Trajan, of which two are preserved.

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA

Basilica Of Trajan-Interior

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA

 Basilica Of Trajan
➢ The great hall of the basilica was surrounded with a double row of columns.

➢ The nave itself was 25 meters wide, and the total length of the rectangle, without the apses, about 130m.

➢ The walls of the basilica were faced with marble, and its roof was of timber covered with bronze.

➢ The basilica was also famous in antiquity for its gilded bronze roof tiles.

➢ Unlike later Christian basilicas, it had no known religious function; it was dedicated to the
administration of justice, commerce and the presence of the emperor.

➢ The Basilica was composed of a great central nave with four side aisles with clerestory windows to let
light into the space divided by rows of columns and two semicircular apse, one at each of the ends with the
entry to the basilica located on the longitudinal side.

➢ The columns and the walls were of precious marbles; the 50 meter (164 ft) high roof was covered by
gilded bronze tiles.

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA

Basilica Of Trajan-Exterior

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA

 Basilica Of Trajan
➢ Its floor was one meter higher than the level of the area, and was approached by flights of steps.

➢ To the south the basilica was open and one could enter the large square of the Forum of Trajan here.

➢ The many rows of columns separating the side aisles are a traditional means of structure for basilicas.

➢ It was an oblong building that stood perpendicular to the central axle of the Forum.

➢ Many of the columns still exist on site, although a large number have fallen.

➢ The Basilica is very similar to one of the most famous hypostyle halls, Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak.

➢ The Basilica served a number of goals. First of all it was a place were Roman citizens, of which many
lived in small flats, could meet and have all the space needed for talking. Second it was a marked place were
people could trade, bank and judge.

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA

Basilica Of Trajan

SEM-II / HOA-II / UNIT-2 / BY AR SUBANITHA