**Historical Development of Domes:**
– Domes have evolved from pre-historic shelters made of pliable materials to more durable structures influenced by Greek, Roman, and other traditions.
– Early domes were constructed using materials like mud-brick, baked brick, stone, and wood, with advancements leading to the use of concrete, metal, glass, and plastic.
– Symbolism associated with domes has evolved over time, representing mortuary, celestial, and governmental traditions.
– Various types of domes have been used in different architectural contexts, including beehive, braced, compound, crossed-arch, ellipsoidal, geodesic, hemispherical, onion, oval, paraboloid, sail, saucer, and umbrella domes.
– Domes have been found in historical and cultural sites worldwide, with different shapes, internal forces, and structural characteristics.
**Architectural Elements of Domes:**
– Domes consist of various architectural elements such as the cupola, crown, intrados, extrados, springing, and haunch.
– Supporting structures like drums and techniques such as corbelling, squinches, and pendentives help bridge differences between the base of the dome and supporting walls.
– Different types of vaults, including nil vaults, handkerchief vaults, domical vaults, pendentive domes, and Bohemian vaults, have been used in dome construction.
– Saucer domes, umbrella domes, and vault types like segmental domes are examples of unique dome structures with specific characteristics.
– The history of dome construction spans various cultures and time periods, with examples like wigwams, igloos, and stone domes from the Neolithic period.
**Advancements in Dome Construction:**
– Advancements in mathematics, materials, and production techniques have led to the development of new dome types and larger structures.
– Modern domes can be found over religious buildings, legislative chambers, sports stadiums, and other functional structures.
– Engineering and architecture fields have expanded the definition of domes to include almost any long-span roofing system.
– Controversies surrounding dome definitions have led to academic debates, especially concerning the precise definition of dome structures and related terms.
– New materials and structural systems in the 20th century have allowed for the construction of large dome-shaped structures deviating from traditional masonry domes.
**Symbolism and Acoustics of Domes:**
– Domes have symbolic significance, representing mortuary, celestial, and governmental traditions that have evolved over time.
– Dome-shaped tombs, tent-canopies, and geometric symbolism have been prevalent in various cultures and historical periods.
– Acoustically, domes reflect sound, create echoes, and have features like whispering galleries and cavities to diffuse sound.
– Material, shape, and placement of cavity resonators play a role in determining the sound effect within dome structures.
– Domes in early Islam were closely associated with royalty, reflecting the symbolic importance of these structures in different societies.
**Structural Characteristics and Forces of Domes:**
– Various types of domes produce different internal forces, including thrusts downward and outward, compressive meridional forces, and tensional hoop forces.
– Grounded hemispherical domes generate horizontal thrusts at haunches, requiring chains or external buttressing to counteract outward thrusts.
– Masonry domes, compound domes, crossed-arch domes, and other dome types exhibit unique structural characteristics and force distributions.
– The debate over structural vs. decorative arches in dome construction has led to different design approaches and architectural styles.
– The structural integrity of domes relies on factors like material choice, shape, and the distribution of forces to ensure stability and longevity.
A dome (from Latin domus) is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a matter of controversy and there are a wide variety of forms and specialized terms to describe them.
A dome can rest directly upon a rotunda wall, a drum, or a system of squinches or pendentives used to accommodate the transition in shape from a rectangular or square space to the round or polygonal base of the dome. The dome's apex may be closed or may be open in the form of an oculus, which may itself be covered with a roof lantern and cupola.
Domes have a long architectural lineage that extends back into prehistory. Domes were built in ancient Mesopotamia, and they have been found in Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, and Chinese architecture in the ancient world, as well as among a number of indigenous building traditions throughout the world. Dome structures were common in both Byzantine architecture and Sasanian architecture, which influenced that of the rest of Europe and Islam, respectively, in the Middle Ages. The domes of European Renaissance architecture spread from Italy in the early modern period, while domes were frequently employed in Ottoman architecture at the same time. Baroque and Neoclassical architecture took inspiration from Roman domes.
Advancements in mathematics, materials, and production techniques resulted in new dome types. Domes have been constructed over the centuries from mud, snow, stone, wood, brick, concrete, metal, glass, and plastic. The symbolism associated with domes includes mortuary, celestial, and governmental traditions that have likewise altered over time. The domes of the modern world can be found over religious buildings, legislative chambers, sports stadiums, and a variety of functional structures.
Definition from ChatGPT:
Dome:
A dome is a rounded vault forming the roof of a building or structure, typically having a circular or elliptical base. Domes are often used in architecture to provide structural support and create a sense of grandeur or spaciousness in a building's design.