The Romans created with an eye towards size in the age-old spirit of
cultural-to-cultural competitiveness. Unlike the Egyptians, who for centuries
created on a colossal scale simply for its own sake, the Romans did so with
more utility and because the success of their culture necessitated projects
such as the Colosseum and this. One of this structure’s remarkable traits is
its reliance on simple, geometric constituents and decoration. The Pantheon is
the Crystal Palace of its time in its expression of mankind’s reliance on form
and geometry to control nature. To Hadrian’s credit, this was not an exercise
in self-aggrandizement; the inscription across the architrave states: “Marcus
Agrippa, son of Lucius, who was consul three times.”
In the context of the time of its construction, the idea was to create a portal for mortals to interface with the gods; it was a space that both the living and supernaturally all-powerful could occupy. Such a purpose clearly required the construction of a building that achieved the nearest expression of perfection humanly possible while creating something that had never seen the light of day. As a matter of fact, perfection was not achieved because the pediment is approximately ten feet lower than the height it was originally intended to be. In addition, the expressed, specific purpose of the Pantheon (“all of the [Olympian] Gods”) is not strictly known, but widely believed to be a sort of mausoleum for the pagan collection of gods and goddesses.
Humans tend to associate the concept of “deity” with dramatic size, but in this case this building’s scale, the sense of insignificance we all feel is emphasized. In this state of mind, awe-inspiring beauty is expressed upon entering the central chamber; the cavernous space is built on a pleasing, vertically-oriented and perfect circle. Weight-relieving coffers decorate the dome as the eye travels upward, to the oculus at the building’s pinnacle, allowing light to shine down and illuminate the interior. Without a doubt, the combination of volume, structure, order, pattern and light would have an undeniable impact on even the most casual observer.
In the context of the time of its construction, the idea was to create a portal for mortals to interface with the gods; it was a space that both the living and supernaturally all-powerful could occupy. Such a purpose clearly required the construction of a building that achieved the nearest expression of perfection humanly possible while creating something that had never seen the light of day. As a matter of fact, perfection was not achieved because the pediment is approximately ten feet lower than the height it was originally intended to be. In addition, the expressed, specific purpose of the Pantheon (“all of the [Olympian] Gods”) is not strictly known, but widely believed to be a sort of mausoleum for the pagan collection of gods and goddesses.
Humans tend to associate the concept of “deity” with dramatic size, but in this case this building’s scale, the sense of insignificance we all feel is emphasized. In this state of mind, awe-inspiring beauty is expressed upon entering the central chamber; the cavernous space is built on a pleasing, vertically-oriented and perfect circle. Weight-relieving coffers decorate the dome as the eye travels upward, to the oculus at the building’s pinnacle, allowing light to shine down and illuminate the interior. Without a doubt, the combination of volume, structure, order, pattern and light would have an undeniable impact on even the most casual observer.
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