The Colosseum
The design of the Colosseum has had a great impact on Western architecture. This impact can be seen in many modern buildings, such as the use of keystones and arches in buildings like churches, banks, and other structures. Even the building materials used in Western buildings and their facades take shape due to the influence of the Colosseum. To fully understand this impact and its influence on art periods’ architecture, it is important to examine the design of the Colosseum. This paper will provide background information on the Colosseum, its structural design, history, and how other famous architectural works have emulated it in Western culture.
Another architectural feat of the Romans in their strive for achieving perfection is the Colosseum, which was built in 72 A.D.
The Colosseum was a place of praise for the Roman pastime of games. It is more appropriately entitled the Flavian Amphitheatre, named after the Flavian dynasty during which it was built. The Colosseum is a testament to how much the Romans enjoyed leisure time and to the triumph of the human body against various forces of nature, such as animals, battles, and other elemental factors.
The Colosseum was mainly built of marble, giving it a sturdy and impressive structure.
The marble that originally covered the façade was burned to make quicklime. During the Renaissance, and especially in the Baroque age, the ruling Roman families (from which many popes came) used it as a source of marble for constructing St. Peter’s Basilica and private Palazzi. One famous saying about this is Quod non fecerunt Barbari, fecerunt Barberini; “What the Barbarians weren’t able to do, was done by the Barberinis” (one such family). (Roman Architecture)
The Colosseum had three main parts: the arena, the podium, and the cavea. Unfortunately, it now stands mostly in ruins as a testament to the greatness of the Roman Empire.
Arena is Latin for sand. The entire floor of the building was covered with sand as it was an excellent absorber of blood, which frequently spilled during the brutal battles that occurred in the games. The similarity of this structure to western architecture can be found in its ability to facilitate movement within the structures. The Colosseum is designed so that it can be emptied of people in just five minutes, much like modern-day football stadiums with designated entrances and exits, sectioned compartments for seating, and a large playing area (although the Colosseum was much larger than a typical football stadium). Additionally, slaves, gladiators, animals and other assortments were housed underneath the structure for viewing pleasure of the audience.
The Romans built this structure to impress not only as a way to house games but also to prevent poor people from revolting against their government. By keeping citizens entertained (the Colosseum hosted over 100 days of festivities per year) and fed they would be kept happy and therefore less likely to threaten or revolt against their government.
The Colosseum was built by the Roman Emperor Vespasian in 72 A.D. It was constructed as a statement of Rome’s power, making its architecture a symbol of politics. The fact that it was built on Nero’s garden was a sign of rebuilding Rome after Nero’s overthrow, and it marked the beginning of architecture being used as a sign of power. This trend has been emulated in impressive ways such as palaces and mansions being built to be awe-inspiring.
The Colosseum was gifted to the Roman people, promising them a great future after the hated reign of Nero (McDonald paragraph three).
The Colosseum was mainly built of marble, much like the Pantheon. However, while the Pantheon has a restructured façade and interior, the Colosseum stands mostly in ruins today, serving as a testament to the grandeur of the Roman Empire.
The similarity between the structures of these two buildings is found in their ability to facilitate movement. The Pantheon’s wide open space allows for an audience to appreciate the paintings on the walls, adytons, and dome from inside. In contrast, the Colosseum is designed to empty of people in just five minutes. Additionally, beneath the structure were housed slaves, gladiators, animals and other assortments for the viewing pleasure of audiences. Both structures were built by Romans with a desire to impress.
The Pantheon has stood the test of time, offering a viewing arena for the genius of Roman engineering. The dome’s shape, construction, and execution are impressive despite not being in its original form. The building materials used were marble and wood, and the design suggests that the Romans built to impress an assortment of gods and goddesses. To do so, they had to create outstanding works of architecture possible—the best and biggest. The Pantheon rivals even the pyramids of Giza in Egypt in size, construction quality, and ability to impress viewers today as it did when first constructed.
While the Pantheon was a tribute to worshipping the gods and goddesses of Roman culture, the Colosseum was a place of praise for the Roman pastime of games. The Colosseum is a testament to how much Romans enjoyed leisure time, as well as the triumph of the human body against various forces of nature such as animals, battles, and other elemental factors.
The Romans were perfectionists. They sought out this trait in their architecture, as seen with the Pantheon’s dimensions being the same for the diameter of the oculus and the length from top to floor. Another architectural feat of the Romans in their pursuit of perfection is the Colosseum, built in 72 A.D.
The Colosseum had a direct influence on Somerset House, designed by architect William Chambers. The house’s courtyard features many elements that emulate the Colosseum, and the vaulted passages also resemble those of the ancient structure. The stories of the Colosseum progress from Doric to Ionic, Corinthian, and finally Composite – a sequence that is also reflected in the exterior storey structure of Somerset House (Cartage.org paragraph 12).
The main influence that the Colosseum has had on western architecture, however, is in the presentation of the arena. The Colosseum was the first superdome, and as such, its influence has been seen in every arena since its construction. It was built with 80 doors (as mentioned earlier in this paper) so that the 50,000 audience members could enter and exit with ease.
In addition to this, the Colosseum initiated a ticket system where audience members would receive their free admission and ticket and find their seat based on their ticket number – just as is done in modern arenas today. The rich were seated closer to the battle for better vantage points of carnage while poor people’s seats would be located in what we now call the nose bleed” section – a structure still used today.
The Colosseum is an ingeniously designed structure that has influenced the design of many spectacle venues, including modern ones. Its seating (cavea) was divided into different sections, with the podium being reserved for Roman senators and the emperor’s private marble box. (Uhlig 17)
Another point of contrast that is part of the ingenuity of the engineering of the Colosseum was its wide use of arches. The entire outside façade of the Colosseum utilizes arches. The keystone is the pressure point that carries the weight of the material. However, the genius behind this design is that it uses its space wisely. Due to being constructed with an arch support system, not only is it appealing to look at but it also serves as a functional device. Since so many people were cramped into this space, air can travel in and out via these arches while creating less weight for columns to bear.
The use of arches can be seen throughout western architecture in most political buildings and churches. Its design mainly aims to lessen material weight on columns, and Colosseum was one of the first structures to utilize this idea on such a massive scale; this influence can be seen in Trinity Church in Boston.
In fact, the basic staging of events and the way in which the audience views battles in a circular fashion, instead of on a stage where the audience is centered with seats facing each other, is unique. The Colosseum influenced not only the architecture of arenas but also in arranging audiences to view points of action. There was so much occurring in the Colosseum that this circular seating arrangement was adequate for audiences to always see something interesting. This seating arrangement can also be seen in sporting events involving a ring,” such as wrestling, boxing or martial arts. In this situation, architecture has been designed so that audiences have a 360-degree vantage point instead of half that in typical stage and audience setups. This architectural design is attributed to the Colosseum.
In fact, the construction of the Colosseum involved not only marble but also concrete. Concrete was an invention created by the Romans and utilized to the best of their ability. It is what has made modern transportation possible.
The marble that originally covered the façade was burned to make quicklime. During the Renaissance, and especially in the Baroque era, the Roman families in power (many of whom produced popes) utilized it as a source of marble for constructing St. Peter’s Basilica and their private Palazzi. One well-known saying is Quod non fecerunt Barbari, fecerunt Barberini; “What the Barbarians weren’t able to do, was done by the Barberinis” (one such family). (Roman Architecture).
The use of concrete has had a significant impact on Western architecture. Its weight is less than that of marble, making it an ideal material for load-bearing columns that do not have to strain as much. Concrete has become the most popular building material and has influenced almost all Western architecture.
The façade of the Colosseum is visible in western constructions such as banks, capital buildings, and even libraries. For instance, the New York Public Library has a façade consisting of archways and Corinthian columns that serve not just as decorative elements but also as load-bearing structures necessary for the architectural design.
The Colosseum had an innovative cooling system known as the valerium. This system consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes with a hole in the center. The roof covered two-thirds of the arena and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors stood on special platforms and manipulated the ropes on command. Additionally, there were vomitoria – passageways that opened into tiers of seats from below or behind. These were designed so that the immense venue could fill in 15 minutes and be evacuated in as little as 5 minutes. Each entrance, exit, and staircase was numbered (Roman Architecture).
The influence of the Roman Colosseum has had a lasting impact on Western architecture. From modern-day arenas to building materials, sporting events, and even the way in which a sporting event is seen, all have been made possible because of the Colosseum. Romans did everything on a grand scale, and Western architecture has always sought to emulate this. The decorative church façades with the use of columns as well as banks and the architecture in the South with full-length column support have all echoed the grandeur of the Colosseum.
Abstract
The building of the Colosseum was intended to unify both the state and its citizens into a new era of democracy. This is evident through the 100 festival days and the strategic location of the Colosseum, which was built directly on top of Nero’s gardens. The Colosseum is considered a masterpiece of Roman architecture and design, utilizing marble and concrete in its construction as well as featuring an impressive array of columns and 76 entrances. This paper will focus on how the Colosseum represents Roman genius in architecture, particularly as it was one of the first superstructures or superdomes built at that time – a remarkable feat considering it has lasted since 80 A.D.
Works Cited.
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McDonald, W. L. Roman Power/Roman Architecture. Retrieved on March 25, 2008 from http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth200/politics/roman_architecture.html
Roman Architecture Online was retrieved on March 27, 2008.
Visit http://www.crystalinks.com/romearchitecture.html for information on Roman architecture.
The Roman Colosseum can be accessed online. It was retrieved on November 25, 2007.
http://www.unrv.com/culture/colosseum.php
Uhlig, S. The Artistic Influence of Italy. Indiana University, 2006. Online. Retrieved from [insert URL here].
On March 25, 2008, a lesson plan on the architecture of Italy was published at http://www.indiana.edu/~westlp1/Lesson%20Plans/Architecture%20of%20Italy/architecture%20of%20Italy.pdf.
