Byzantine Architecture (330 - 1453 C.E.) The Old St. Peter's Basilica
The church was entered through an atrium called Paradise that enclosed a garden with fountains. From the atrium there were five doors into the body of the church. The nave was terminated by an arch with a mosaic of Constantine, accompanied by St. Peter, presenting a model of his church to Christ.
On the clerestory walls, each pierced by 11 windows, were frescoes of the patriarchs, prophets, and Apostles and scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Old St. Peter’s was torn down in the early 16th century and replaced by New St. Peter’s
Materials and Construction techniques
The Byzantines employed bricks for many buildings, and it became the basic element of construction. They were square and measured up to 38 cm (15 inches) along each side with a height of up to 6.5 cm (2.5 inches). Bricks were used to create walls by laying two faces and pouring rubble and mortar between them. The mortar was made from lime, sand, and crushed brick or pebbles. An alternative to brick was ashlar stone blocks, which were more popular in the eastern half of the Byzantine Empire.
Domes, Vaults and Roofing systems Byzantine architecture innovated the "pendentive domes", which provided the architects with a unique way of adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or polygonal plan. Domes were mostly used in the Eastern part of the Byzantine Empire while in the West, the roofs (sometimes domes) were covered by wood. Types of domes adopted during the Byzantine Empire include C) DOME WITH A) SIMPLE DOME B) COMPOUND DOME CIRCULAR DRUM
Ingenious processes for building vaults without centrings were made use of; a processes inherited from the drain-builders of ancient Assyria. The groined vault was common, but always approximated the form of a dome, by a longitudinal convexity upward in the intersecting vaults. The aisles of Hagia Sophia display a remarkable variety of forms in the vaulting.
Various column capitals unique to Byzantine Architecture The surfaces of these capitals were carved with incised foliage of sharp outline, having drilled eyes (No. 88) between the leaves. - Columns were used constructively,
Symbolism in Byzantine Era The Church itself became a symbol of the faith. The Church is viewed as a house of god and its design and construction as a reflection of this symbolism. - The scale of the church was therefore increased and its decoration became more complex.
Byzantine Ornamentation Enrichment were incised on moldings in low relief. Marble, an expensive material, was generally reserved for columns, capitals, cornices, architraves, and decorative features such as door frames, window grills, and paving. Attention was paid to building interiors where generally all the walls were covered in plaster, stucco, thin marble plaques, paintings and mosaics. Roofing in churches and houses was most often made from timber.
Done by Manvie Prusty 160823020