Roman Colosseum
Jessica Brumbach
Prof. Lares
ARC 2701
24 April 2015
The Architectural Purpose and Evolution of the Roman Colosseum
Introduction:
The ancient Flavian Amphitheater is one of the many theatres that arrayed the historical country of Italy. This structure embodied the developmental advancement of Roman architecture primarily by its’ specific style, era, purpose, and impact. The Colosseum is unique entirely in which the structure was more monumental in its decoration and design, it “exerted great influence both ‘positively’ and ‘negatively’, on subsequent Roman imperial architecture” (Welch 161). This in turn allowed the understanding of why the Colosseum became the most “sophisticated in terms of cavea substructures for speculator circulation” …show more content…
The Colosseum’s style had contributions from the Greek Order which was applied to the building’s façade and cavea, notably the first amphitheatre to do so and the reasoning behind was for a “cultural status” (Welch 147) to bring the two Orders together in harmony. Moreover, the Romans were extremely skilled in masonry, the materials used in the construction were: limestone, wood, ornamental stones, marble and various forms of brick and concrete. This aided in the Colosseum’s strength rendering it as a “massive elliptical ring of concrete” (Welch 134). Later different leaders devoted imperative additions that helped in the betterment of the arena. The basement substructures that were added to its design to aid in purpose consist of a hospital, armory, barracks, hypogeum, and a training school for gladiators. The land underneath it’s foundation was ideal because it was “made of compact clay, could sustain a great deal of weight; and the area had already been excavated and was equipped with a drainage system” (Welch …show more content…
They domesticated their ideals through providing a “system of attached columns and arched openings [allowing] for a balanced interpretation of structure and mass” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 170). The amphitheater was not a new concept but a concept that the Romans perfected. They perfected this with navigation through much consideration of the economic and governmental standing of the country as a whole with “confidence in their use of the orders relationship to the buildings solids and voids” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 170). This led to the Coloseeum being one of the most successful and famous amphitheaters that truly understood recognition for size, mass, symmetry, and elliptical
Prof. Lares
ARC 2701
24 April 2015
The Architectural Purpose and Evolution of the Roman Colosseum
Introduction:
The ancient Flavian Amphitheater is one of the many theatres that arrayed the historical country of Italy. This structure embodied the developmental advancement of Roman architecture primarily by its’ specific style, era, purpose, and impact. The Colosseum is unique entirely in which the structure was more monumental in its decoration and design, it “exerted great influence both ‘positively’ and ‘negatively’, on subsequent Roman imperial architecture” (Welch 161). This in turn allowed the understanding of why the Colosseum became the most “sophisticated in terms of cavea substructures for speculator circulation” …show more content…
The Colosseum’s style had contributions from the Greek Order which was applied to the building’s façade and cavea, notably the first amphitheatre to do so and the reasoning behind was for a “cultural status” (Welch 147) to bring the two Orders together in harmony. Moreover, the Romans were extremely skilled in masonry, the materials used in the construction were: limestone, wood, ornamental stones, marble and various forms of brick and concrete. This aided in the Colosseum’s strength rendering it as a “massive elliptical ring of concrete” (Welch 134). Later different leaders devoted imperative additions that helped in the betterment of the arena. The basement substructures that were added to its design to aid in purpose consist of a hospital, armory, barracks, hypogeum, and a training school for gladiators. The land underneath it’s foundation was ideal because it was “made of compact clay, could sustain a great deal of weight; and the area had already been excavated and was equipped with a drainage system” (Welch …show more content…
They domesticated their ideals through providing a “system of attached columns and arched openings [allowing] for a balanced interpretation of structure and mass” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 170). The amphitheater was not a new concept but a concept that the Romans perfected. They perfected this with navigation through much consideration of the economic and governmental standing of the country as a whole with “confidence in their use of the orders relationship to the buildings solids and voids” (Ching, Jarzombek, Prakash 170). This led to the Coloseeum being one of the most successful and famous amphitheaters that truly understood recognition for size, mass, symmetry, and elliptical