Arch

Examples of Arch in the following topics:

• Arches, Vaults, and Domes

  • This is sometimes referred to as arch action.
  • As the forces in the arch are carried to the ground, the arch will push outward at the base; this is called thrust.
  • Circular arches, also referred to as rounded arches, were commonly employed by the builders of ancient, heavy masonry arches.
  • The advantage of using a pointed arch rather than a circular arch is that the arch action in a pointed arch produces less thrust at the base.
  • Of any arch type, the parabolic arch produces the most thrust at the base, but can span the largest areas.

• Roman Architecture under the Republic

  • An arch is a pure compression form.
  • As the forces in the arch are carried to the ground, the arch will push outward at the base, called thrust.
  • Multiple arches can be used together to create a vault.
  • Roman aqueducts are another iconic use of the arch.
  • The arches that make up an aqueduct provided support without requiring the amount of building material necessary for arches supported by solid walls.

• Gothic Cathedrals

  • One of the defining characteristics of Gothic architecture is the pointed or ogival arch.
  • The way in which the pointed arch was drafted and utilized developed throughout the Gothic period, and four popular styles emerged: the Lancet arch, the Equilateral arch, the Flamboyant arch, and the Depressed arch.
  • Gothic openings such as doorways, windows, arcades, and galleries have pointed arches.
  • Niches with pointed arches that contain statuary are a major external feature.
  • Ogival, or pointed arches, increased in popularity in the Gothic period.

• Architecture during the Severan Dynasty

  • The Roman Arch of Septimius Severus recalls the triumphal arch of Augustus, also erected to honor his own victory over the Parthians.
  • Like Augustus's arch, that of Septimius is a triple arch--the only surviving one in Rome.
  • The Arch of Septimius Severus at Leptis Magna is architecturally distinct and unique in comparison to the triumphal arches of Rome.
  • This arch is four-sided and acts as a gateway into the city.
  • Despite its very different design, the arch's components are in dialogue with the triumphal arch in Rome.

• Characteristics of Romanesque Architecture

  • For example, walls may be made of different materials, or arches and openings may vary in shape.
  • A characteristic feature of Romanesque architecture, both ecclesiastic and domestic, is the pairing of two arched windows or arcade openings, separated by a pillar or colonette and often set within a larger arch.
  • Although basically rectangular, piers can often be of highly complex form, with half-segments of large hollow-core columns on the inner surface supporting the arch, or a clustered group of smaller shafts leading into the moldings of the arch.
  • Piers that occur at the intersection of two large arches, such as those under the crossing of the nave and transept, are commonly cruciform in shape, each arch having its own supporting rectangular pier at right angles to the other.
  • Characteristics of Romaesque architecture include the ocular window and the pairing of two arched windows or arcade openings within a larger arch, both of which seen here at the Abbey Church of St.

• Rome

  • Rome remains the world's epicenter of classical architecture, and ancient Romans are considered innovators of the arch and the dome.
  • The Roman use of the arch, and their improvements in the use of concrete and bricks, facilitated the building of many aqueducts throughout the empire .
  • Initially adopted from the Greeks, Roman arches are very strong, because no single spot holds all the weight.
  • Because of this, the arch was employed in Roman aqueducts throughout the empire, and their survival is testimony to the durability of their materials and design.
  • Massive buildings soon followed, with great pillars that supported broad arches and domes, rather than dense lines of thin columns suspending flat architraves.

• Architecture under Constantine

  • This forms a dialogue with the Arch of Titus at the top, overlooking the Forum and the Arch of Septimius Severus, which, in turn, stands at the other end of the Forum before the Via Sacra heads uphill to the Capitolium.
  • The Senate commissioned the triumphal arch in honor of Constantine's victory over Maxentius.
  • Eight roundels, or relief discs, adorn the space just above the two smaller side arches.
  • The rest of the arch is decorated using Late Antique styles.
  • Besides decorative elements in the spandrels, a Constantinian frieze runs around the arch, between the tops of the small arches and the bottoms of the roundels.

• Architecture of the Early Roman Empire

  • On both levels, an engaged column stood between each pair of arches.
  • Columns in each of the three Greek orders stand between the arches.
  • The southern panel inside the arch depicts the sacking of Jerusalem.
  • Sacking of Jerusalem relief from the Arch of Titus.
  • From the Arch of Titus.

• Mycenaean Architecture

  • Therefore, a corbeled (or corbel) arch is employed over doorways to relieve the weight on the lintel.
  • The corbel arch was often used by the Mycenaeans in conjunction with a relieving triangle, which was a triangular block of stone that fit into the recess of the corbeled arch and helped to redistribute weight from the lintel to the supporting walls.
  • The gate is famous for its use of the relieving arch, a corbeled arch that leaves an opening and lightens the weight carried by the lintel.
  • The Lion Gate is famous for its use of the relieving arch, a corbeled arch that leaves an opening and lightens the weight carried by the lintel.
  • Describe the characteristics of Mycenaean architecture, such as their use of Cyclopean masonry and the corbel arch.

• Carolingian Architecture in the Early European Middle Ages

  • For instance, the gatehouse of the monastery at Lorsch, built around 800 CE in Germany, exemplifies classical inspiration for Carolingian architecture, built as a triple-arched hall dominating the gateway, with the arched facade interspersed with attached Roman-style classical columns and pilasters above .
  • Lorsch Abbey (800 CE) demonstrates the Roman-classical inspiration the Carolingians took for their architecture, with a triple arch hallway dominating the gateway and interspersed with classical Roman pillars.