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Early Christian Architecture

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Early Christian Architecture World History Early Christian and Byzantine IInd Yr. B.Arch. Historical Background The following is a time line of events for the Early Christian and Byzantine period: –29 A.D. Passing of Isa(AS) and beginning of Christian Religion –286 A.D. Emperor Diocletian reorganizes the Roman Empire splitting it into two; the Eastern and the Western part –313 A.D. Emperor Constantine recognizes the Christian religion and adopts it as a state religion -324 A.D. Emperor Constantine reunited the Roman Empire with a new capital at Byzantium –364 A.D. Rome finally splits into two; the Western and Eastern Empire –476 A.D. Rome is sacked by Visgoth and Vandals –632 A.D. Muslim begin an advance on the Byzantine empire –1453 A.D. Byzantium falls to Sultan Muhammad II ending the Byzantine Empire Social Characteristics & Beliefs The spread and acceptance of the Christian religion Early –During the period from the first century to the third century after the death of Jesus, Christianity was a secret society –It was considered dangerous and subversive by the government –Christians met secretly in tombs and private houses –Gradually, however, it spread and became widely accepted in Asia minor and in Rome itself –By third century, Rome had 50,000 Christians , soon was tolerated but it was still illegal Religion –The third century was for the Roman Empire a period of political instability and decline –The Empire was split into a Western and Eastern Empires –In A.D. 313, the Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan making Christianity legal –He also adopted it as a state religion and he became the first Christian emperor The acceptance of the religion by the emperor fueled its expansion –It also led to the early development of places of worship for the new religion –Constantine was able to unite the Roman Empire during his reign –He established the capital of the new empire at Byzantium, renamed Constantinople –After his death, the Empire was again split -The Western Empire was sacked by Vandals and Visigoths in 476, leading to its disintegration –The Eastern Empire with Constantinople as its capital survived for a thousand years –Although the Eastern Empire was not yet "Byzantine" under Constantine, Christianity would become one of its defining characteristics The Society The empire was a multinational state –Greek became the everyday language as well as the language of the church and everyday commerce in this empire –The general identity of the Eastern Roman Empire was a combination of Roman statehood, Hellenistic culture and Christian religion Architecture of the Period With Christianity widely accepted as a state religion in Rome it was necessary for architecture to respond to the demands of the religion for worship space –Mode of worship was the most important determinant of the form of the church –Requirement for church design was centered on worship and burial The requirements include: •A path for processional entry and exit of the clergy •An alter area, where the clergy celebrate mass •A space for the segregation of the clergy from the congregation during procession and communion •Burial space Early Christian Architecture Domus Ecclesia (titulus) - Synagogue at Dura Europos HouseChurch -the earliest Christians -a follower’s house where the worshipped and taught communal meal and teaching were within conducted Jewish synagogues - early ritual was very simple -communities were small - why build when Christ is coming soon? Domus Ecclesiae - House of the Church -the successor to the domus ecclesia -no longer the house of a member -structure for the sole use of the church community -still a repurposed house - walls reconfigured - dedicated baptism space - dedicated gathering space Catacombs pre-Constantine - cemetery -emulation of burial technique - practicality/lack of land -dignity of the body - preservation for resurrection -communion of saints -place of devotion Early Christian Architecture – Introduction • Early Christian architecture may be taken to have lasted from about 300 to 600 AD. • The Early Christians, as Roman craftsmen, continued old Roman traditions. • Utilized as far as possible the materials from Roman temples which had become useless for their original purpose for their new buildings. • Their churches, modeled on Roman basilicas, used old columns which by various devices were brought to a uniform height. • Early Christian buildings hardly have the architectural value of a style produced by the solution of constructive problems. EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH (300 AD – 600 AD) DIVIDED IN 2 PARTS 1. The Eastern Empire 2. The Western Empire CHARACTERISTIC OF EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE 1. Simplicity in Design and Treatment 2. Coarseness in Execution Early Christian Architecture is Transitional Architecture Influenced by Roman Architecture and with no own structure SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION Trabeated and Arcuated BUILDING MATERIALS Salvaged materials from Pagan Temples • Basilican churches had either closely spaced columns carrying the entablature, or more widely spaced columns carrying semicircular arches. • The basilican church with three or five aisles, covered by a simple timber roof, is typical of the Early Christian style • It s long perspective of oft-repeated columns which carry the eye along to the sanctuary ; a treatment which, combined with the comparatively low height of interiors, makes these churches appear longer than they really are, as is seen in S. Paolo fuori le Mura, and S. Maria Maggiore. BASILICA: Typical Types of Apse plan. 1. Semi-circular A, D, apse (Italian) B, B’, secondary apse; 2. Polygonal (German) C, high altar; 3. Square (English) G, transept; 4. Compound (French) H, nave; J, J’, aisles PLANS USED BY EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES 1. LONGITUDINAL -One axis referring to Basilican Type 2. CENTRAL – Two axes referring to square plan added before the church proper. St. Peter’s Basilica Narthex created on far side of the atrium - a variant of the porch - nave does not terminate at the apse -covered a cemetery that contained many martyrs - transforms into a large transverse space -known as a transept -this was a large reliquary -pilgrims gathered to venerate the remains of their fallen Church of the Holy Sepulchre - spatial complexity - structural complexity - site complexity - ritual complexity - programmatic complexity Church of St. Paul Outside the Wall (A.D. 380) Was destroyed in A.D. 1823, but was rebuilt on the original design, and is the largest and most impressive of all basilican churches. Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome (A.D. 432) Built by Pope Sixtus III and is the only church of which there is evidence that it was originally a pagan basilica, and it is one of the most typical of basilican churches. BAPTISTERIES – Early Christian baptisteries were originally used only for the sacrament of baptism, and for this rite Roman circular temples and tombs supplied a most suitable type of building. OTHER STRUCTURES BELFRY – Attached bell tower CAMPANILLE – Detached bell tower Example - Leaning Tower of Pisa TOMBS - Early Christian burial up to the end of the fourth century of the Christian era took place in the Catacombs outside Rome ; for burial within the city was prohibited by law. - St. Constanza, Rome (A.D. 330) erected by Constantine for his daughter, but later converted into a church in A.D. 1256. -The Tomb of Galla Placidia, Ravenna (A.D. 420) , appears to be the earliest building which is cruciform in plan. Byzantine Architecture •By the end of the 5th century AD, Rome had completely declined •It had been sacked twice and was then under occupation •Its influence was significantly 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 •Under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the Byzantine style of architecture evolved •His interest in church building led to the discovery of the groin vault and the Theevolution attributes of the Byzantineof the ideal style 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 Domes and Domes on Pedentives • Byzantine architecture gave us the pedentive domes and the dome on pedentives • unique way of adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or polygonal plan • It was the Byzantine builders who used it to create dramatic interiors • In the Pantheon in Rome, the Dome roof had to be supported by a circular plan. The walls of the plan had to be thick to counterbalance the forces from the Dome The pendentive dome is derived by trimming the sides of a regular dome over a square plan as shown in A •The pendentive dome enables the transfer the total load of the dome to the four corners of a building, meaning that only the four corners need to be reinforced •This allows the dome roof to be adapted for a square building as shown in B Additionally, the top of the pendentive dome can be trim to introduce another dome on top of it as shown in C •The additional dome can further be raised to introduce a cylinder between the pendentive dome and the additional dome as in D •Windows can then be introduced in the cylinder enabling architects to creating dazzling interior light effects Early Prototypes Constantine’s Churches were the first monumental Christian structures -they occupied the most sacred sites -continued an unbroken architectural lineage -created a Roman
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