Early Architecture Of Western

World
 BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
Byzantine Empire - Early Period Introducton
•Timeline:
330: Emperor Constantine founds a new capital of the
Roman Empire at the Greek town of Byzantium,
renaming the city Constantinople after himself
• 395: Death of Emperor Theodosius – Empire
permanently split in
two halves. Constantinople is capital of the Eastern
Roman
JustinianEmpire
I. Greatest
expansio of
• 527-565: Byzantin
reign of Emperor
n e
Empire
• 1453: of Byzantin
Fall e
Empire
 BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
Introducton

Constantnople (Istanbul)
• By the end of the 5th century AD, Rome had completely
declined
• It had been sacked twice and was then under
occupation
• Its infuence was signifcantly reduced and
the Impetus for architectural innovation
shifted to the Byzantine Empire
• This shift also marks the movement from
early Christian civilization to
the Byzantine civilization
 BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
Introducton
•Although it is impossible to identify two similar
Byzantine churches, it is still possible to identify the
basic characteristics of an ideal Byzantine church
•The attributes of the ideal church included:
– The use of a centralized church plan
– The use of surrounding isles
– The use of pendantives and dome on pendentives
– And the use of a complex program of interior
structure, lighting and decoration to create fascinating
interiors
Byzantine Architecture(330-
1453 AD)
Infuences,
Evolution of Dome,
Pendentive,
Squinch,
Architectural Features of 1st Golden Age,
Hazia Sophia(Constantinople),
St. Vitale(Ravenna),
Architectural Features of 2nd Golden
Age,
St. Mark(Venice),
Byzantine Art.
Infuences
Geographical
 Capital> Rome>Byzantium(New Rome)>Constantinople
(The largest city and former capital of Turkey,
renamed Constantinople by Constantine who made it the capital of the

Byzantine Empire;) > Istanbul

 Situated> at the intersection of two great highway of
commerce
1.Black Sea & Mediterranean sea
2. Europe & Asia
Two Character> Eastern & Western
Mainly Infuenced by Eastern Architecture
Infuences
Geological( Physical Structure)
 No good building Stone
 Local Material> clay for bricks & rubble for concrete were
employed
Marble> Imported from the island along the shores of the
Eastern
Mediterranean to Constantinople
Infuences
Climatic
Tropical Area
 Sunny weather
Used fat Roof
Small Opening
High, Unbroken Wall
Built arcades ততততত for providing
Shade
Social system was rigid
Infuences
Religious
330 Ad> Constantinople > capital of First Christian Emperor
Mainly constructed building> Churches
 Firstly they were Early Christian Type, Later the domical
byzantine style was developed
Islamic architecture infuenced there
Emperor Leo(III) banned sculpture inside the church in the
eastern part.
Development >Eastern side> Orthodox ততততত

>Western Side>Explored various new ideas

Emperor> Head of both Church & State.
Political System was centralized

Evolution of Dome

Dome is a vault of even curvature

on a circular base.

01.Barrel Vault or Tunnel Vault

02.Groin or Cross Vault
03.Domy Vault or Dome
Pendentive
Squinch
Evolution of Dome
01.Barrel Vault
Evolution of Dome
Barrel
Vault
Evolution of Dome
02. Groin
or Cross
Vault
Evolution of Dome
02.Groin
or Cross
Vault
Evolution of Dome
Groin or
Cross
Vault
Evolution of Dome
03.Domy
Vault or Dome
Evolution of Dome
03.Domy Vault or
Dome
Evolution of Dome
Pendentiv
A pendentive is a constructive
e
device permitting the placing of a
circular dome over a square room
or an elliptical dome over a
rectangular room.

The pendentives, which are

triangular segments of a sphere,
taper to points at the bottom and
spread at the top to establish the
continuous circular or elliptical
base needed for the dome.

In masonry the pendentives thus

receive the weight of the dome,
concentrating it at the four
corners where it can be received
Evolution of DomeA squinch in architecture is a
construction flling in the upper
Squinch angles of a square room so as to
form a base to receive an octagonal
or spherical dome. A later solution
of this structural problem was
provided by the pendentive.