Types of Architectural Domes
Dome Type↕ | Origin/Region↕ | Iconic Example↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
Oculus Dome | Ancient Rome | Pantheon, Rome (completed 126 CE) | Largest unreinforced concrete dome ever, 9m central opening to sky, coffered interior |
Onion Dome | Russia, Central Asia | Saint Basil's Cathedral, Moscow | Bulbous shape wider than drum, sheds snow, Russian Orthodox iconic |
Geodesic Dome | 20th century USA | Biosphere, Montreal (Buckminster Fuller) | Triangulated spherical structure, light, strong, Fuller's invention |
Half-Dome (Semi-dome) | Byzantine | Apse of Hagia Sophia, Istanbul | Hemisphere cut in half, used over apses, semi-circular in elevation |
Double-Shell Dome | Renaissance Italy | Florence Cathedral dome (Brunelleschi) | Inner and outer shell, Brunelleschi's engineering without centering, largest brick dome |
Pointed (Ogival) Dome | Islamic Persia | Taj Mahal, Agra | Bulbous with pointed top, Mughal and Persian mosques and mausoleums |
Parabolic Dome | 20th century | Palazzetto dello Sport, Rome (Nervi) | Mathematically efficient curve, Pier Luigi Nervi concrete structures |
Saucer Dome | Roman, Renaissance | Rotunda of the US Capitol | Shallow segmental dome, diameter much larger than height, wide interior spans |
Compound Dome (Pendentive) | Byzantine | Hagia Sophia, Istanbul | Dome on pendentives resting on square base, revolutionized sacred architecture |
Crossed-arch Dome | Islamic Andalusia | Mezquita of Cordoba mihrab dome | Interlacing ribs forming star pattern, no central support, decorative |
Corbel Dome | Mycenaean, Neolithic | Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae | Stacked rings of stones projecting inward, no true arch action, beehive profile |
Umbrella Dome (Fluted) | Renaissance | Santa Maria del Fiore lantern, Florence | Segmented like an umbrella, ribs radiating from crown, Brunelleschi variant |
Tented Dome | Russian | Church of the Ascension, Kolomenskoye | Octagonal pyramidal roof over square base, uniquely Russian Orthodox |
Clamshell Dome | Islamic | Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Isfahan | Ribbed hemispherical dome resembling a scallop shell, Safavid Persian |
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