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An oculus (from Latin oculus 'eye'; pl.: oculi) is a circular opening in the center of a dome or in a wall. Originating in classical architecture, it is a feature of Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture. A horizontal oculus in the center of a dome is also called opaion (from Ancient Greek ὀπαῖον '(smoke) hole'; pl.: opaia).
The Pantheon (UK: / ˈ p æ n θ i ə n /, US: /-ɒ n /; [1] Latin: Pantheum, [nb 1] from Ancient Greek Πάνθειον (Pantheion) '[temple] of all the gods') is a former Roman temple and, since AD 609, a Catholic church (Italian: Basilica Santa Maria ad Martyres or Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs) in Rome, Italy.
The oculus is unusually large, more than two-fifths the span of the room, and it may have served to support a lightweight lantern structure or tholos, which would have covered the opening. Circular channels on the upper surface of the oculus also support the idea that this lantern, perhaps itself domed, was the rotating dome referred to in ...
The Pantheon in Rome.Largest dome in the world for more than 1,300 years. Oculus of the Pantheon. This is a list of Roman domes.The Romans were the first builders in the history of architecture to realize the potential of domes for the creation of large and well-defined interior spaces. [1]
Oculus (a term from Latin oculus, meaning 'eye'), may refer to the following Architecture. Oculus (architecture), a circular opening in the centre of a dome or ...
The Pantheon, a temple in Rome completed by Emperor Hadrian as part of the Baths of Agrippa, is the most famous, best preserved, and largest Roman dome. [127] Segmented domes, made of radially concave wedges or of alternating concave and flat wedges, appear under Hadrian in the 2nd century and most preserved examples of this style date from ...
The successive changes in the Panthéon's purpose resulted in modifications of the pedimental sculptures and the capping of the dome by a cross or a flag; some of the originally existing windows were blocked up with masonry in order to give the interior a darker and more funereal atmosphere, [2] which compromised somewhat Soufflot's initial ...
Interior view of the Pantheon showing the oculus of the building. Many ancient Roman temples were constructed for religious purposes. The most influential example is the Pantheon. Pantheon is a Greek adjective meaning “honor all Gods”, in fact it was first built as a temple to all gods.