Ground and structure

Dome

Historiccupola · cúpula (Spanish) · qubba (Arabic)

templeplanetariummarkethousing

It is a curved roof shaped like a hemisphere or another figure of revolution, covering a central space.

Solves

What it solves

It covers large spaces without intermediate columns. An opening at the top lets hot air out and light in.

Today

Provide an outlet for hot air at the top and protect it from the rain. In seismic zones a light dome of timber, bamboo or steel, well anchored, is advisable.

Common mistake

Closing the dome completely in a hot climate, which traps hot air under the roof.

Tomorrow

A dome with an opening at the top lets hot air out and lets people look at the sky at night. In community halls and schools it also gathers the voice, so its acoustics deserve careful design.

Fact In the Pantheon in Rome the height to the oculus equals the diameter of 43.3 meters. The oculus measures 9.1 meters.

Where it comes from

1Imperial Rome Pantheon, Rome, around the year 126
Its unreinforced concrete dome is 43.3 meters in diameter and uses lighter pumice stone in the upper part.
2Persia Iran, of diffuse origin
The squinch, an arch across the corner, made it possible to go from a square plan to a round dome.
3Musgum people northern Cameroon, traditional
Catenary-shaped mud houses almost 9 meters high, with reliefs for climbing and for the rain to run off.
4Geodesic dome Jena, Germany, 1926
The first dome made of triangles, very strong for its weight, opened to house a planetarium.

Masters

Filippo Brunelleschi Dome of Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, 1436
He builds the dome with two shells and herringbone brickwork without timber centering. Chains embedded in the masonry contain the outward thrust.
Pier Luigi Nervi Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome, Italy, 1957
He assembles a 61-meter ribbed dome from 1620 precast concrete pieces. Prefabrication made it possible to build it in only 40 days.

Sources

Also in Ground and structure

Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.