We are required to research on a building assigned which is the Colosseum and answer a question listed in the brief. The findings should be presented with sketches as well. This assignment was interesting as I have learned a lot about the history and function of this building.
What makes your building historically significant / meaningful?
The use of concrete & building technique
During the construction of the Colosseum, concrete was a new invention and they were still learning how to use it. It was so new that they did not know the strength and lifespan of the concrete. They combined concrete together with stone. It was made by mixing a strong volcanic material called pazzolana with rubble, sand and a mixture of limes. The Colosseum had four levels. The ceilings of the passages and corridors which circled the arena on each level comprises of vaulted arches made of concrete whereas the supports they rested on were made of strong, heavy limestone.The only difference in modern and ancient concrete maybe due to the fact that the Roman's used volcanic ash in the mix. As a result of using this material, the Colosseum withstood earthquakes throughout the centuries and still stands even when there few maintenance made for the building.
The Flavian family wanted the amphitheatre to be built as quickly as possible. The complete the building, hundreds of skilled stonemasons were required. The Romans used a new building technique - standardized parts. The stairs and seats were constructed off-site then brought to the amphitheatre to be fitted by teams experienced in this work. The stairs and seats were all built to the same size and were made to be replaceable. This technique is very significant as it is still applied in the modern day.
The columns
The Colosseum employed the decorative use of the Classic Orders of architecture. A Classical order of architecture is a method of building design established in Greece or Rome during the Classical period, around 850 BC through 476 AD. The Greeks created three Orders of Architecture which are the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. These three types of columns were used for the Colosseum.The first floor, Doric; the second floor, Ionic; and the third floor, Corinthian. The columns are not structural forms but rather for aesthetic purposes.
The arches
The arches are repeated throughout the building from the top to bottom. This creates rhythm in its design. The building is visually unified by the shape of the arch. Its repetition also allows a person to relate to its scale as the massive form is broken by the smaller shapes. The arches also serves to ventilate and light the building. The entire building is also symmetrically balanced and enhances its aesthetics.
The velarium
A velarium or an awning is a retractable roof that could be seen stretched across the arena on a sunny day to protect the audience from the heat. It was raised and lowered with pulleys and ropes by a detachment of sailors recruited from warships.The reason sailors were used is because the maneuver was much like raising sails on a ship. However, the exact method by which the velarium was hoisted is unknown and there are differing theories.
The vomitoria
The Roman architects and builders had to design the Colosseum to be capable of holding between 50,000 - 80,000 people. They paid much attention towards crowd control. Therefore, they devised an ingenious system of entrances, corridors, and staircases that allowed the crowds to enter and exit the Colosseum swiftly and with ease. The entrance arches leads to a corridor which runs uninterruptedly around the building leading to staircases and passages to the seats. These passages are called the vomitorium (plural: vomitoria). They are situated below or behind the tiers of seats in the amphitheatre through which the crowds can exit at the end of a performance. The public entrances were also numbered to provide easy access to the allocated seats.This system allows the Colosseum to be emptied in less than 10 minutes. Besides that, this system is also used in modern day stadiums where the entrances and exits are large for clearing crowds.
The arena & hypogeum
The Latin word arena means "sand" which is used as the primary surface to absorb blood. The arena's base was a wooden floor layered with 15cm of sand. The area beneath the arena was called the Hypogeum (meaning underground). The hypogeum consists of two-level subterranean network of tunnels and 32 animal pens. It has 80 vertical shafts which provides instant access to the arena for animals and scenery which promotes the element of surprise for the audience. The tunnels would also lead to various buildings that are necessary for running the performances in the Colosseum. Some examples would be the gladiator school, bestiaries school and the spoliarium.
http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/colosseum
http://www.mariamilani.com/colosseum/colosseum_structure.htm
http://www.buffaloah.com/a/virtual/italy/rome/col/ext/source/16.html
http://www.dwfcontract.com/Drapery--Window-Covering-Blog/bid/84990/Why-do-we-call-them-Romans
http://www.dl.ket.org/latin2/mores/activities/arena_amphitheatre.htm
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/art-history-architecture-terms/deck/7012621
0 comments :
Post a Comment