View Page: Roman atrium house - form and function

	Roman atrium house - form and function
	written by jwang3 / 09.22.2005

Section Five

5 of 7

Conclusion

Nicole Day-Bazhaw

Church atrium

Atrium of San Clemente. Note the open ceiling and fountain in the middle. The double doors lead to the interior of the church.

http://www.udel.edu/ArtHistory/nees/209/images/4-02.jpg

Santa Sabina interior

The view from the entrance. Note that light filters in along the periphery of the visual linear axis. At the end of the line of sight lies the alter. Note that it is slightly elevated in the same manner as the tablinium.,

The aforementioned linear fauces-atrium-tablinium visual axis easily carried over into the Roman government and also into the Christian church. In Roman palaces, basilicas and Christian churches, there often exists an alignment of the entrance hall with light filtering into the main room from overhead natural light sources and the figure with the highest authority standing at the end of the axis. As the visitor enters through the doorway, his eyes are drawn to the majesty around him; the beautiful decorations of both the entryway and the main room magnify the grandeur of the site, illuminating the power and wealth of the patron, the Roman government or the deities of the church. Directly across the room, slightly elevated as to create a sense of hierarchy, lies the statue of the emperor in reign or the god in sanctuary. As a continuation of the figure of the paterfamilias, this figure, a static presence on the stage, can observe all the activity in front of him from the moment the visitor enters the building until the moment he leaves. From his command post, he exercises his authority over the entire structure.

In modern architecture, the atrium is used as a greeting center, a more open space, often with a fountain in the middle, reminiscent of the Roman impluvium.

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