Classical Civilization: Rome

Learning about Rome was really interesting for me because I have always been interested in Rome. I find the architecture from Rome to be the some of the most beautiful buildings and I really enjoyed learning about two buildings especially.

First, the Coliseum which was built for gladiator fights, and cultural events. The most amazing thing about the Coliseum is that it was made from stone and concrete and it seats 50,000 people. That is so amazing that with their limited resources and materials that they were able to construct a building this large and detailed, and it has lasted for so many years. Its amazing, to me, that its possible for man to construct this building.

Second, the Pantheon which is a rounded temple with domed ceiling. The Pantheon is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome of the world. Again, it is absolutely amazing to me that people from this time period were able to construct this dome with concrete and it is still standing today and they didn't have the technology that we have available today.

The next two pictures are current applications of this time period...

I looked at Emily P's blog and I loved how she discussed the slanted roofs, compluvium (opening in the roof). She gave a modern application of this system which I think is really clever. Especially with the growth of "green design" in today's design world; I think a system like this would be beneficial to reintroduce into design with slight modifications (like, no opening in the main roof of the home).

I also looked at Flor's blog and I really like that she included the main colors that Roman's used for their walls. Red, Black, and White all dramatic and contrasting colors that beautifully decorate the interiors of these homes.