Regarding the history of architecture, what I have learned and learned is a speck of dust in a long river, and I cannot peek into the trajectory of the stars with my personal sight, but this alone does not prevent me from discovering the beauty of the night.
Ancient Roman civilization is a splendid nebula, and its architecture is its most dazzling star stone.
Ancient Roman architecture refers to an architectural art created by the ancient Romans and extended to the Mediterranean coast, referred to as Roman architecture, also known as "Roman architecture".
1. A brief description of the architectural history of ancient Rome
In Western academia, ancient Roman architecture traditionally refers to the architecture of the ancient Roman Republic and the Empire, while in Chinese academia, the definition is broader, including early Etruscan architecture, and includes Western Roman Empire architecture after the split, but generally does not include Eastern Roman Empire architecture.
The distribution of peoples on the Apennine Peninsula in 400 BC
This is because the development of ancient Roman architecture is almost synchronized with the history of ancient Rome, so there is no independent division of architectural history, but refers to the general principles of political history, and is subdivided into three eras according to the rulers:
(1) Etruscan era: Etruscan was once a great power in the central part of the Italian peninsula. Its architecture has outstanding achievements in masonry, ceramic components and arch structures. The architecture of the Roman Kingdom and the early republican period was developed on this basis.
(2) Ancient Rome was originally a small city-state on the west coast of the central Apennine Peninsula, and in 509 BC began to implement a free and democratic republican form of government, that is, the era of the Roman Republic.
(3) It conquered all of Italy in the 3rd century BC and by the end of the 1st century BC, ruled a vast area stretching from Asia Minor and Syria in the east to Spain and England in the west. In 27 BC, ancient Rome entered the Age of Empire. In the 3rd century, tenant slavery gradually replaced slavery, Italy itself moved towards a natural economy, and Christianity began to spread. In 286, it was divided into two empires, the Western Roman Empire, which fell at the end of the 5th century, and the Eastern Rome lasted until 1453.
Throughout the Republican period, the architectural forms used relied heavily on the previous Indo-European traditions, in turn strongly influenced by Greek art, but already carried important innovations (such as the use of arches), and some documents here separate a Hellenistic period, beginning with the death of Alexander the Great (323 BC) and ending with the conquest of Greece by the Roman Republic in 146 BC, or the fall of the last successor kingdom in 30 BC, the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
During this period, after the 19th century, Western historians believed that ancient Greek civilization dominated the civilization of the entire eastern Mediterranean coast, so this period was called the Hellenistic era. The Hellenistic era is considered to be a transitional period between the Greek classical era and Roman culture, and cultural trends declined or declined compared to the Greek classical era. The Hellenistic period was characterized by a new wave of Greek colonization, dominated by the establishment of colonial cities within the Hellenistic kingdoms of Egypt and Western Asia.
It can be seen that this period covers the Roman Republic and the previous eras in the time dimension, and the two are contradictory and do not stand separately.
Arch Brick Classic, National Museum of Roman Art, Merida
In the 2nd century BC, the development of cement construction techniques was rapidly applied to the forms of the interior spaces of buildings, which the Romans were most interested in for practical reasons and artistic perspectives. A feature of Roman expansion was the intensive work of urbanization of the territory, which, in addition to the expansion of existing cities, would lead to the creation of many cities.
The colonial city model belongs to the Castrense (military) type.
Initially it was thought that their model came from the castrum (fortress, fortress) of the Roman barracks, since in ancient times people fought only in spring and summer, transforming the barracks into small cities that accommodated various types of public buildings, temples, theaters, amphitheaters and markets and private (private residences in the city of domus, similar to official residences and insulae condominiums, similar to apartments).
And with the new archaeological discoveries, it validates that Castrum is inspired by the Roman colonies, a simple and adaptable model, possibly based on a project formulated in Rome and approved by the Senate.
2nd century BC, Roman marching camp layout
The central square of Pompeii in the 2nd century BC
Speaking of ancient Roman architecture, we have to mention Marcus Vitruvius Pollio's "Ten Books of Architecture" by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (c. 80 BC or 70 BC - c. 25 BC), which is the only architectural work in ancient Western antiquity, covering various laws of ancient Roman architecture, including urban planning, introduction to architecture, building materials, temple construction, Greek column applications, public buildings (baths, theaters), private buildings, flooring and finishes, hydraulics, Timekeeping, surveying, astronomy, civil engineering, military machinery, etc.
Italian version of the Ten Books of Architecture
The Ten Books of Architecture are:
Book I: Definition of the vast field of architecture, architects and their skills. Treatment of urban planning
Book II: Materials, Masonry and Construction Techniques
Volumes III and IV: Sacred Architecture (Temples) and Architectural Order
Volume V: Public buildings, especially the Forum, the Cathedral and the Theater
Books 6 and 7: Private buildings (location, type, plaster, floor)
Book VIII: Description of the Exotic Fish Aquarium and Hydraulic Engineering
Book 9: Astronomy and Astrology Off-topic, Nikkei Elements (the realization of the day's line, sundial and water clock)
Book X: Mechanics
«Haec autem ita fieri debent, ut habeatur ratio firmitatis, utilitatis, venustatis.»
This phrase is the central idea that runs through the Ten Books of Architecture, emphasizing the need to consider three factors in the design and manufacturing process: robustness (i.e. durability and solidity), practicality and aesthetics. This approach is known as the "Three Beauty Principles" or "Trinity Principles" and is often used in the fields of architecture, engineering, and design.
Technical terms: solidity, practicality, aesthetics, the principle of three beauty, the principle of the trinity, and this principle is still used today.
From this, it is not difficult to see that since ancient times, there has been such a recognition that architecture is an imitation of nature, and architecture must be harmoniously integrated with the natural environment. The architect must have broad common sense, even philosophical knowledge and religious thought, as well as acoustic knowledge for the construction of theaters and similar buildings, knowledge of optics for illuminating buildings, medical knowledge for building areas of construction.
Architecture is never a simple design, it is nature, it is humanities, it is the spirit of an era, and it is the inheritor of history.
As a shaper, the architect's role is not only to build physical structures, but also to create meaning and value in space, providing people with an environment rich in beauty and inspiration. They need to go beyond mere technical aspects and blend elements of nature, humanity and history to create architectural works that resonate with the times. Through their efforts and creativity, architecture has become an important heritage and spiritual symbol of human civilization.
2. Ancient Roman architectural forms
(1) Arch coupon technology
To talk about the greatest architectural features and achievements of ancient Rome, it is its structural arch technique, which is:
Barrel arches, cross arches, cross arches and ribbed arches.
Diagram
(2) Dome technology
The most famous representative of the dome is the Pantheon in the 2nd century AD, which in Italy gathered the world's top three domes, the Pantheon, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and St. Peter's Basilica, the latter two buildings are more than 1300 years later than the Pantheon.
Bath Roman Baths Museum
(3) Column system
In terms of frame structure, ancient Roman buildings mostly use columns to bear load, that is, the use of columns as frames, the weight of the roof and eaves is transmitted to the columns through the beam frame, and the wall only plays the role of partition, rather than the structural part that bears the weight of the house.
Compared with the three-pillar style of ancient Greece, the column type of ancient Rome is more huge and gorgeous, but it lacks the elegance and dignification of ancient Greece.
There are five types of columns in ancient Rome: Doric columns, Ionic columns, Corinthian columns, Taskan columns, and mixed columns.
It is also with the help of the frame structure that the architectural form of ancient Rome appears magnificent and tall.
Roman column
In addition, the characteristics of ancient Roman architecture include lintels, fountains, frames and other structures.
Third, the typical architecture of ancient Rome
(1) Pantheon
The Pantheon, also translated as Pantheon, consists of a circular structure and a portico of Corinthian columns (eight columns in front, two sets of four columns in the second and third rows), supporting a triangular pediment. The large circular dome, which reaches a diameter of 43.3 meters and a height of 43.3 meters at the top, is surrounded by thick brick walls and eight large columns that share the weight of the concrete hemispherical vault, which at the apex has a circular opening called the eyehole that illuminates the interior environment. The height of the building calculated at the eye hole is equal to the diameter of the round hall, a feature that reflects the classical architectural standards of balance and harmony. Almost two thousand years after its construction, the dome of the Pantheon remains one of the largest vaults in the world, specifically the largest built of Roman concrete.
Pantheon
(2) Colosseum
Colosseum, formerly known as Amphitherum Flavium (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium) or simply Amphitheater (Italian: Anfiteatro)
The building forms a polycentric elliptical with a circumference of 527 meters and axes of 187.5 meters and 156.5 meters, respectively. The arena inside has an area of 86 × 54 m and an area of 3357 m². Now the height has reached 48m, and it turned out to be 52m. The structure clearly expresses the architecture and architectural ideas of the early Roman Empire, based on the curves and envelopes provided by the elliptical plane and the complexity of the building system, respectively. The arches and vaults are connected in a close structural relationship.
Piranesi panel painting of the Colosseum
In 1787, Goethe described in his travelogue in Italy:
"Particularly charming is the view of the Colosseum, which closes at night; Inside, in a chapel, under a dilapidated vault lived a shelter for hermits and beggars. They lit a fire on the ground in the rear, and a breeze blew away the smoke throughout the arena, covering the lower half of the ruins, and the huge walls loomed above; We stood in front of the grille and gazed at the prodigy, the moon high and quiet in the sky. Gradually, smoke spread from walls, shafts, and openings, which looked like fog in the moonlight. It's a show like no other. Therefore, the Pantheon and Campidoglio (Piazza Capitol, also known as Piazza Campidogrio, designed by Michelangelo), the colonnade of San Pietro and other large streets and squares should be illuminated. So the sun and the moon, like the human spirit, have everything here. ”
(3) Baths of Caracalla
There were many buildings similar to the baths of Caracalla in ancient Rome, and the Roman public baths (Thermae) were not only for bathing, but a place that integrated social, recreational and fitness activities, including sports fields, libraries, concert halls, lecture halls, friendship halls, shops, etc., forming a multi-purpose architectural place.
The central body of the Baths of Caracalla is a rectangular room with different layouts; A semicircular front protrudes from the southwest side. The plan resumes the planning of other royal baths, in particular those of Trajan, where the baths follow the central axis and the other baths are repeated and arranged symmetrically.
Access is through four doors on the northeast side: two doors lead to the porches on either side of the large swimming pool, and on the shorter sides, decorated with four monumental monolithic granite columns (the only surviving column was found, from 1563, in Piazza di Santa Trinita, Florence); The reverse façade has a set of three overlapping niches on two floors with statues inside; The other two outward openings, presumably the main entrance, lead to the large vestibule with direct access to the dressing room, located in the space between the vestibule and the pool.
Floor plan of the layout of the baths of Caracalla
(4) Monumental buildings
Roman monumental buildings are mainly represented by the Arch of Titus (82 AD) and Trajan's Column (113 AD).
The Triumphal Arch of Titus is located on the Velian hill, next to the Colosseum. Velian is halfway between Palatine and Esquiline Hill, southeast of the Roman Forum. The Titus Arc itself is 13.50 meters wide, 15.40 meters high and 4.75 deep, while the inner archway is 8.30 meters high and 5.36 meters wide. And its building material is the use of Pantelek marble.
Arch of Titus
Trajan's column has a clear height of 30 meters, including the total height of the base of 38 meters. The column body is made of 20 giant Carrara marbles with a diameter of 4 meters and weighing 40 tons, and the appearance is made of a total length of 190 meters relief around the column for 23 weeks; Inside the column, there are 185 spiral stairs leading to the top of the column. According to ancient coins, the early Trajan's column was crowned by a giant bird, most likely an eagle, which was later replaced by Trajan's statue, which was robbed of Trajan's statue during the long Middle Ages. In 1588, Pope Sistus V ordered that a statue of St. Peter be erected on the top of the column.
Trajan's Pillar of Merit
(5) Diocletian's Palace
As a palace building, Diocletian's Palace is a Roman palace, built around 295 to 305 AD, covering an area of nearly 4 hectares.
The palace is rectangular in plan, 215 meters long from north to south, and the palace wall is 2.1 meters thick. It is bordered by the Adriatic Sea, with a height of 22 meters in the south and 18 meters in the north. There are 16 towers and 4 palace gates. At its center there are two 11-meter-wide arcade avenues. The front of the palace is the dormitory, and the coastal arcade is 160 meters long and 7.3 meters wide, overlooking the sea and the Dalmatian coast.
View of the interior of Diocletian's Palace
(6) Roman Forum
The Roman Forum was built from the 6th century BC, the main part of the square is about 134 meters long and 63 meters wide, and its layout design covers all ancient Roman architectural complexes.
Ancient Roman Forum plan
IV. Summary of Ancient Roman Architecture
1. Principal axis symmetry: Ancient Roman architecture often adopted a major axis symmetrical layout, in which buildings were symmetrically distributed along a central axis. This symmetry is reflected in the facades, courtyards and interior spaces of buildings.
2. Central Square: The layout of many ancient Roman cities included a central square called "Forum". It is the political, commercial and social center of the city, surrounded by important government buildings, shops, temples and markets.
3. Arc theater: A common layout in ancient Roman architecture is a curved theater, such as the famous Colosseum. These theaters are usually semicircular or oval in shape and are used for watching plays, gladiatorial fights, and other entertainment.
4. Grid streets: In many ancient Roman cities, streets were planned as a grid layout where they intersected at right angles. This layout makes transportation more convenient and allows the development of the city to be organized efficiently.
5. Public baths: The Thermae in ancient Roman architecture was an important social and cultural place. They usually consist of multiple rooms and baths, including cold, warm, and hot baths. The public baths also provide a library, a stadium and a place for social gatherings.
6. Curved porticoes: One element common in ancient Roman architecture is curved porticoes, such as arches and domes. These structures are not only practical, but also decorative, adding a magnificent and solemn atmosphere to the building.
These are some of the typical features of the layout of ancient Roman buildings. However, the layout of ancient Roman buildings also varied depending on the type of building and the period. From the period of the Roman Republic to the Empire, the architectural style and layout also changed.