Pantheon Architecture

The pantheon is an artistic and imaginative blend of three major architectural focus: the unification of traditional temple form and the new domed space, the technical development of concrete constructions, and the tendency to obscure construction and structural elements. This paper discusses the Pantheon by analyzing the architecture from various aspects such as its three distinctive spaces and the experience they brings, the lighting of the interior, innovation such as coffering, the skillful use of concrete, and the Roman’s attempt to conceal the construction. Furthermore, the potential meanings and implications are evaluated by formal analysis and looking at the cultural context of the empire. Pantheon, with its revolutionary design, serves
The concrete will cure rapidly regardless of weather condition which makes it advantageous for massive, primary structural elements of large buildings such as the Pantheon. Moreover, the compressive strength of pozzolana cement is far superior to that of lime mortar. The use of concentric stepped rings arrayed about the outer surface of the dome also contributed to the success of the dome. According to W.L MacDonald, “the rings add to the load over the critical or haunch portion of the great vault and function as buttresses, helping to bring the structure into stability through compression.” In other words, the builders adds weight to direct the internal forces down the wall through the use of step
The commonly accepted theory is that the Pantheon is built as an cumenical temple dedicated to all the gods, not just of Roman tradition but of all roots and cultures. This seems plausible since the Pantheon was created at a turning point in history when rites and rules drawn from a very long past were not yet abandoned, but the surge of a new and utterly different age was already being felt. Written evidence by Dio Cassius indicates that a statue of Julius Caesar, not deified for long, had been placed inside the original Pantheon. Additionally, statuary with patriotic and dynastic implications such as those of Aeneas, Romulus and Alba Longa etc. decorates the entire complex. Seen in this light, it is reasonable to assume that the Pantheon contains not only the ancient and traditional gods, but also deities of recent origin and strong connection to dynastic and political meaning. On the other hand, it is easily imaginable that it related to cosmology. It has 7 niches for altars and statues and at that time there were seven known planets. The symmetry is perfect; the rotunda itself is divided into sixteen parts – a direct connection to the sixteen equal divisions of the Etruscan sky. The circle,