A series of colossal two- and three-dimensional forms interlock and interact to
create the structure. The basic layout is a Greek cross-plan church with each
aisle extended to match the length of the nave. One of the remarkable traits of
this church (now a museum) is how one of the sphere-forming structures is split
in half along an equal and perpendicular angle to the axis of the nave. The
arrangement of space is typical of most cathedrals in that it is subordinate to
and direct toward the nave, followed by the apse. What can only be perfect
symmetrical formal balance is struck along the axis of the nave.
At the time of its construction, the Hagia Sophia no doubt transported each parishioner to a realm split between Earth and heaven. The impressions the sheer scale, the almost magical way the windows were installed into its mass offering illumination, and lushness of interior decoration must have inspired a sensation akin to floating in the field of heaven. The decoration, light sources and rhythmic interplay of light and dense tones create a uniquely pleasing and ordered visual experience. Rounded edges complement and interact with soaring, vertical forms and edges. Formal balance of the classical sense is as developed as the sheer volumes of space this building encompasses.
The fact that it took five years to build this structure is astonishing. The dome is supported by a pendentive system of arches, whereby four cardinal direction-facing portals form a circle at the upper expanses for it to rest on. This would become a commonn method of supporting domes and developing suspended spherical space by Byzantines afterward.
One of the Hagia Sophia’s great achievements was to solve one of the conflicts that had afflicted church construction up to this point: Architects have always wanted to inspire awe through the spanning of vast and soaring space while at the same time maintaining focus on the sanctuary. The Hagia Sophia accomplishes this; upon entering the naos, attention is immediately lifted upward along the verticals, curves and circular gaps to the vast, floating dome, and then down to the apse at the distant end of the church. Justinian, Anthemius and Isidoros were able to conceptualize and construct a structure that was truly able to demonstrate the Byzantine culture’s mastery of geometry and architecture in the creation of this church.
At the time of its construction, the Hagia Sophia no doubt transported each parishioner to a realm split between Earth and heaven. The impressions the sheer scale, the almost magical way the windows were installed into its mass offering illumination, and lushness of interior decoration must have inspired a sensation akin to floating in the field of heaven. The decoration, light sources and rhythmic interplay of light and dense tones create a uniquely pleasing and ordered visual experience. Rounded edges complement and interact with soaring, vertical forms and edges. Formal balance of the classical sense is as developed as the sheer volumes of space this building encompasses.
The fact that it took five years to build this structure is astonishing. The dome is supported by a pendentive system of arches, whereby four cardinal direction-facing portals form a circle at the upper expanses for it to rest on. This would become a commonn method of supporting domes and developing suspended spherical space by Byzantines afterward.
One of the Hagia Sophia’s great achievements was to solve one of the conflicts that had afflicted church construction up to this point: Architects have always wanted to inspire awe through the spanning of vast and soaring space while at the same time maintaining focus on the sanctuary. The Hagia Sophia accomplishes this; upon entering the naos, attention is immediately lifted upward along the verticals, curves and circular gaps to the vast, floating dome, and then down to the apse at the distant end of the church. Justinian, Anthemius and Isidoros were able to conceptualize and construct a structure that was truly able to demonstrate the Byzantine culture’s mastery of geometry and architecture in the creation of this church.
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