DOMES
DOMES
DOMES
Beehive dome
Also called a corbelled
dome, or false dome, these are
different from a 'true dome' in that
they consist of purely horizontal
layers. As the layers get higher, each
is slightly cantilevered, or corbeled,
toward the center until meeting at
the top.
A monumental example is the
Mycenaean Treasury of Atreus from
the late Bronze Age.
Compound dome
Also called domes on
pendentives or pendentive domes (a
term also applied to sail vaults),
compound domes have pendentives
that support a smaller diameter dome
immediately above them, as in the Hagia
Sophia, or a drum and dome, as in many
Renaissance and post-Renaissance
domes, with both forms resulting in
greater height.
Crossed-arch dome
One of the earliest types of ribbed vault,
the first known examples are found in
the Great Mosque of Córdoba in the
10th century. Rather than meeting in
the center of the dome, the ribs
characteristically intersect one another
off-center, forming an empty polygonal
space in the center.
Geodesic dome
Geodesic domes are the upper portion of
geodesic spheres. They are composed of
a framework of triangles in
a polyhedron pattern.
The structures are based
upon octahedrons or tetrahedrons.[5] Such
domes can be created using a limited
number of simple elements and joints and
efficiently resolve a domes internal forces.
Their efficiency is said to increase with size.
Hemispherical dome
The hemispherical dome is half of a
sphere. According to E. Baldwin Smith, it
was a shape likely known to the
Assyrians, defined by Greek theoretical
mathematicians, and standardized by
Roman builders.
Onion dome
An onion dome is a greater than
hemispherical dome with a pointed top
in an ogee profile.
The examples found in various European
architectural styles are typically
wooden.
In Islamic architecture, they are typically
made of masonry, rather than timber,
with the thick and heavy bulging
portion serving to buttress against the
tendency of masonry domes to spread
at their bases.
The Taj Mahal is a famous example.
Oval dome
An oval dome is a dome of oval shape
in plan, profile, or both.
The earliest oval domes were used by
convenience in corbelled stone huts as
rounded but geometrically undefined
coverings.
The dome built for the basilica
of Vicoforte by Francesco Gallo was
one of the largest and most complex
ever made.
Saucer dome
Also called segmental domes (a term
sometimes also used for cloister vaults),
or calottes, these have profiles of less than
half a circle. Because they reduce the
portion of the dome in tension, these
domes are strong but have increased
radial thrust.
Many of the largest existing domes are of
this shape.
Masonry saucer domes, because they
exist entirely in compression, can be built
much thinner than other dome shapes
without becoming unstable.
Umbrella dome
Alsocalled gadrooned, fluted, pu
mpkin,melon, ribbed, parachute, s
calloped,or lobed domes,these
are a type of dome divided at the
base into curved segments, which
follow the curve of the elevation.
"Fluted" may refer specifically to
this pattern as an external feature,
such as was common in Mamluk
Egypt.
ADVANTAGES OF DOMES
Acoustics
Because domes are concave from below, they can reflect sound
and create echoes.[26] A dome may have a "whispering gallery" at
its base that at certain places transmits distinct sound to other
distant places in the gallery.
Cavities in the form of jars built into the inner surface of a dome may
serve to compensate for this interference by diffusing sound in all
directions, eliminating echoes while creating a "divine effect in the
atmosphere of worship.“
Geodesic dome
No load-bearing interior walls are required to support the roofs,
resulting in an open spaced plan.
Partition walls can be directly framed into the dome shell, or they may
be free standing space divisions. Up to 50% of the lowest ring of
triangles can be removed, and these openings can be replaced with
traditional doors and windows. The choice of a geodesic system yields
less material costs. Since the sphere is a mathematical maximum, it
encloses the most area for the least amount of material. An example
of a dome home is shown below:
Along with the open space plan, the geodesic dome’s structural
stability makes it a valuable resource to resist against excessive loading,
such as winds or seismic vibrations.
Since spherical shapes amplify light, as opposed to rectangular which
absorb, superior lighting distribution makes a spherical shape perfect
for a greenhouse.
Other common uses of geodesic domes include: