History of Architecture @ Dennis

2. Influences of Christian Archie. :-
Geographical
The position of Rome as
he center of a world
wide empire was an
important factor .All
roads lead to Rome and
Christianity to become
universal .
Geological
The quarry of the ruins
of roman buildings
influenced the
architectural treatment
of the style , both in
regard to construction
and decoration .
Religion
History presents no
phenomenon so striking as
the rise of Christianity,
which spread so rapidly
that in a very short period
it was diffused throughout
the whole civilized world.

3. Characteristics
 Roman temples which were now rendered
useless for their original purpose were
utilized for the new faith and in addition
new churches built on the model of the old
roman basilicas and formed of columns and
other features from pagan buildings were
erected , these are known as basilican
churches.
 Basilican churches were often situated
over the entrances to their former hiding

4. EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
 Early Christian meeting places were
actually set-up in preexisting
apartments or homes
 These locations were known as titilus
 Most were rebuilt into full scale
churches
 Best known early Christian
architecture are the burial places,
known as catacombs
 Early Christians were quite poor
 Burial was provided in individual “shelf”
tombs or private family chambers
 Usually located beneath churches
BACKGROUND
Roman Empire – 3rd Century
Christianity
EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
Titulus
Catacombs
Martyria

5. Vault , Dome ,
Arches
Vault
A roof In the form of an
arch or a series of arches,
typical of churches and
other large , formal
buildings..
Dome
A rounded vault forming
the roof of a building or
structure typically with a
circular base
Arches
A curved symmetrical
structure spanning an
opening and typically
supporting the weight of a
bridge , roof , or a wall
about it.

6. Squinches :-
 It is a construction filling
in the upper angles of
square room so as to form
a base to receive an
octagonal or spherical
dome

7.  Building Domes
 They used triangular
transition features from
four massive support
piers to a drum and then
to the shallow dome
above.

8.  1)The latter diameter was sometimes used and the sides of the dome cut off vertically so that the square was perfectly
covered but the result was imperfect dome.
 2) To secure a perfect dome the byzantine builders conceived the idea of slicing the imperfect dome off horizontally just
above the arches made by vertical cutting .
 3)The triangular segments of the original dome are the pendentives .

9. Arches
Segmental Corbelled Pointed

10. The Basilican Church of S. Clemente ,
ROME
Characteristics
 Location :- Rome
 Affiliation :- Roman Catholic
 Const. :- 1108-1123
 Dimensions:- 45*25*13 M
 Dedicated to pope clement 1

12. Basilican church of S. Paul . ROME
Characteristic
 Location :- Rome, Italy
 Const. :- 4th cent – 1823
A.D.
 Dimensions :-
150*80*30M
 Founded by:- Emperor
Constantine 1

13. Basilican church of S . Maria ROME
Characteristics
 Location :- Rome , ITALY
 Affiliation :- Roman
Catholic church
 Dimensions:- 92*80*75M
 Leadership:- Santos Abril
Castello

14. S . Stefano Rotondo , ROME
Characteristics
 Location :- Rome , Italy
 Affiliation :- Roman catholic
 Leadership:- Friedrich wetter
 Dimension :- 80*45*20M

15. Details Christian Architecture
Plan
The early Christians adopted
the Basilican model for their
churches but in addition the
halls, baths ,dwelling -houses,
and even the pagan temples
were used for places of
worship.
An isolated circular church,
used as a baptistery,1 was
generally attached to the chief
Basilica or cathedral.
Walls:-These were still constructed
according to the
Roman methods, rubble or concrete
walling being used, faced
with plaster, brick, or stone. Mosaic was
used internally, and
sometimes externally on the west
facades for decorative purposes.
Openings :-Doors, windows, and
niches were generally
spanned by a semicircular arch, the use
of the lintel being dispensed
with. The window openings were small
Roofs. Wooden roofs, covered the central
nave, simple forms of construction such as
King and Queen post trusses being employed..
These roofs were ceiled in some ornamental
manner
Columns : They are often of different
design and size, being mostly from earlier
Roman buildings which
had fallen into ruins &kt were purposely
destroyed. It was natural
that the early Christian builders, not being
good craftsmen themselves,
should use in their buildings the materials and
ornaments
which had been left by the pagan Roman.

16. BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
 New Symbolic Architecture
 500 AD Western Empire in ruins
 Shift to Byzantine Architecture
 Christianity based on worship of “Otherworldly” things
 Ideal Church
 Central plan and dome
 Circular dome over square plan
 Pendentive Domes
 “Sail Vault”
 Spherical triangles

17.  Byzantine architecture was a
continuation and refinement of Roman
styles and techniques.
 The basilica plan continued in use – as
in the Church of S. Apollinare in Classe,
Ravenna.

18. At its height, the Byzantine empire covered an area from Rome through southeastern Europe
and Asia Minor, down to Egypt and across North Africa.

19.  The Byzantine empire hoped to preserve Greek and Roman culture and also strongly influenced
the first Russian state. As Russia traded with the Byzantine empire, the Byzantines influenced
both Russian and eastern European development.

20.  By 330, the emperor Constantine, had built a new capital city in
Constantinople on the site of the Greek city Byzantium. The Byzantine
empire arose from this site.

21.  The Byzantine empire reached its peak under the emperor Justinian.
Justinian was a autocratic ruler, or single ruler with complete
authority.

23.  Location : Istanbul , Turkey
 Dimensions : 82 x 73 x 55 m
 Style of construction :
Byzantine
 King const. :- Justinian
 Internally covered with mosaics and marble
pillars .
 Contains two floors centered on a giant nave
that has a great dome ceiling along with
smaller domes towering above.
 In its 1400 years of life span it has served
itself as Cathedral , mosque and now as
museum.

24. Hagia Sophia

25. Plan :-
 Byzantine churches are all
distinguished by a great
central square space covered
with a dome, supported by
means of pendentives, shown
in On each side extend short
arms, forming a Greek cross,
which with the narthex and
side galleries make the plan
nearly square The narthex was
placed within the main walls.

26. Details Byzantine Architecture
Column Walls Openings
In the earlier buildings, these were
taken from
ancient structures, which not being
so numerous in the East as in
the neighborhood of Rome, the
supply was sooner exhausted ;
and thus there was an incentive to
design fresh ones. Capitals
sometimes took a form derived
from the Roman Ionic or
Corinthian types
These were often constructed of
brick. Internally,
all the oriental love of magnificence
was developed, marble
casing and mosaic being applied to
the walls ; hence a flat
treatment and absence of moldings
prevailed. Externally the
buildings were left comparatively
plain, although the facade
was sometimes relieved by alternate
rows of stone and brick, in
various colors.
Doors and windows are
semicircular headed
but segmental and horse- shoe/
arched openings are
sometimes seen.
The windows are small and
grouped together
Portions of the windows are
occasionally filled with thin slabs
of translucent marble

27. Byzantine ornamentation of capitals
Printing Capital Carving Capital Embossing Capital

28. Byzantine Art :

29. o Byzantine artists also developed Mosaics, pictures or designs formed by inlaid pieces of stone or other materials.
Mosaics often displayed religious themes.

30.  In the area of art, the Byzantine empire made great contributions. Icons were
images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and others. These icons were supposed the create
the sense that the holy person was actually present.

31. Emperor Justinian became known for his collection of
ancient laws known as Justinian’s Code. This written
set of laws became the basis today’s international laws.

32. Hippodrome
 Held 60,000 spectators
 Wild chariot races and
circus acts
 Site of the Nika revolt in
532 C.E.
 Hippodrome comes from
Greek words meaning
“horse” and “racecourse”