Of course, many of the architectural elements created throughout the Roman Empire never died. “Roman architecture is alive and well today,” says Kiernat. “In San Francisco, where our firm practices, we have worked on many buildings constructed in the early 20th century that are influenced by Roman architecture.” Banks, for example, often make use of domes, arches, porches, and massive pediments. “One example is One Grant Street in San Francisco, which was designed by Bliss & Faville and built in 1910 as the Savings Union Bank.”
Defining elements and characteristics of Roman architecture
As Foster explains, defining characteristics of any Roman building depend both on the date of construction and its location within the Empire. “The earliest examples tend to follow Greek and Etruscan models fairly closely,” she says. “Here we see the application of the classical orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian.” During this time, temples were usually frontal and rectangular, and notable examples include the Temple of Portunus in Rome or the Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France.
Later there was greater experimentation with form, and buildings began to demonstrate sophisticated engineering, particularly in the building materials. At this point, the classic orders weren’t followed as strictly. “There are important examples of this experimentation in the eastern regions of the Empire, such as in modern-day Croatia, Turkey, Jordan and Syria,” Foster explains. “In these structures, the architects disrupted the earlier forms, creating broken pediments, for example, or altering the design of capitals to include other kinds of decorative and symbolic imagery.”
What are the characteristics of Roman architecture?
Due to ancient Rome’s power spanning hundreds of years, there are no defined architectural characteristics seen throughout every building, location, or era. However, there are plenty of characteristics that are common throughout structures from this time. Consider the following list:
- Concrete structures
- Arches
- Domes
- Columns
- Buttresses
- Designs based on symmetry and equal proportions
Famous Roman architecture examples and architects
While not exhaustive, the following list includes a collection of famous ancient Roman structures.
The Colosseum