Build the dome of the Roman Pantheon Exact replica at a reduced scale - plans and templates Start Price USD 480,000.00 Current Price USD 480,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, November 26, 2008 End Time Saturday, December 06, 2008 Location South River, Ontario See more about 'Build the dome of the Roman Pantheon' Description Even the Vanderbilts did not possess this masterpiece. This is an auction of the plans for the construction of the dome of the Roman Pantheon.   Historical Background The Pantheon was a temple in the style of a domed rotunda. Of unsurpassed grandeur and scale, it was built in Rome under the Emperor Hadrian in AD 118 at the height of Roman power and developement. Converted to a church in AD 609 , it exists today as the most well preserved of all the Roman monuments. Hadrian may have been the most cultured of the Roman emperors; a man of letters, he wrote poetry, spoke Greek fluently, had a passion for art and architecture, as witnessed by his 300 acre ( 120 hectare ) villa complex at Tivoli, was an accomplished horseman and a patron of the arts. The Pantheon was a sanctuary for the Roman gods where the emperor was deified and his laws and actions sanctified. The temple projected the image of deified imperial power. The night sky was the ancients' scriptures, however, unlike the scriptures, it was dynamic and immediate, responsive to a passionate people who saw themselves at the center of the universe. Celestial events ruled the lives and affairs of both the citizen and the state. The state gods tended to be represented by the planets, the sun, and the moon, although constellations visually in their path, i.e. the zodiac, were also recognized. At this time cults, originating from the eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt, Asia Minor and what is now the country of Iran, with their own deities, were allowed to proliferate throughout the empire. Hadrian, being liberal minded, had a vision of religious universality and the Pantheon, meaning  "all the gods" was probably meant to be inclusive. The symbolism the Romans attached to the dome has been lost in time and over the ages the temple has been despoiled of the adornment. However, the following hypothesis has resonance with the religious beliefs observed here: the hemispheric dome represented the night sky and each of the coffers, -there are 140 of them-, formed a niche for a gold star symbolizing a celestial body. The oculus, the opening at the top of the dome, and the sole source of light, represented the sun.    My Career Path My career began as a Professional Surveyor ( legal ) in private practice. Later on, to broaden my experience, I served a tenure in government where I worked in the Department of Justice in the field of property law. I  travelled widely at this time developing an interest in all forms of architecture. Eventually retiring from government, I became directly involved in architecture designing and building a summer home. My passion for classical architecture coming more into focus, and wanting to give full expression to this all consuming interest, I made the decision to build a hypothetical ancient Roman villa and use it to showcase the important classical forms of architecture. The expansiveness of the villa style would allow the prominent features to be presented in settings and with approaches designed to heighten their dramatic effect and thereby magnify the emotional response of the viewer.   The Renaissance of the Dome of the Pantheon The centerpiece of the Roman villa, now under construction, is an accurate representation of the dome of the Roman Pantheon. In the villa milieu I have used it to greatly embellish the stature of the Roman reception room. At the time of the Romans, politics and business were conducted in the  "domus" and the reception room and its approaches were intended to impress the visitors of important rank in society. The dome was not built originally for monetary gain, however, after three years in developement, there was a realization that it was unique and others would be interested in its acquisition. Unlike the existing domes inspired by the Pantheon, including those of Jefferson's and Palladio's, this dome is a near perfect replication of the Pantheon dome. At a reduced scale, it is proportionately accurate and the arrangement and number of coffers conform to the original. Individually, the coffers are reproduced in exacting detail, to the degree, for example, that there is one less step in the upper row of coffers, as in the original. The subject dome has an inside diameter of 11 feet ( 3.35 meters ) although the prominent horizontal lines at the base and the diminishing size of the coffers vertically towards the top create the illusion that the dome is 30% greater both in width and height. The dome is made of wood, wood derivatives, and plaster. The total weight, including the drum, does not exceed 3000 lbs. ( 1360 kg ). Domes, in general, have an embracing and protective quality which projects on the viewer, psychologically, a sense of security and well being. They also act as a centralizing and unifying force within the enveloping space awakening an awe inspiring and spiritual reality where one's gaze is drawn upwards to the omnipotent on high; hence the dome's presense in churches, temples and mosques. The subject dome is also historically significent and is a striking reference to early religions.   Details of the Offering Offered for auction are the complete specifications, instructions, diagrams, and 13 templates, which are collectively referred to herein as "the plans", for the construction, at a reduced scale, of the dome of the Roman Pantheon. The plans are comprehensive and detailed, and if there are questions of interpretation I will provide clarification by e-mail. There are 32 pages of text and illustrations organized under the following headings: The Frame, The Supporting Structure, Exterior Sheathing, Installing the Dome on the Roof, The Exterior Plastering, Building the Drum, The Rotunda - General Guidelines, The Dome's Interior Wall Covering, The Assembly of the Coffers, Installation of the Coffers in Sections, Preparation of the Interior for Painting, The Star and Sunburst Symbols, The Patterns for the Star Symbols, The Color Scheme. In addition to the dome and oculus, there are complete plans for building the drum, a 34" (86.4 cm.) high by 17" (43.2 cm.) wide circular surround lying immediately below the dome. There are also general guidelines for the rotunda, an example of which is as follows: "By harmonizing and subordinating the adjoining features to the dome there is a heightening of its majesty and dramatic effect. For example;- a raised marble floor, 11' (3.35 m) diameter, in alignment with the cylindrical plane of the inside wall of the drum". A gilded star symbol, the design taken from a coin of the Emperor Hadrian, is placed in each coffer. It is elevated towards the front of the coffer in order to receive more direct light from the oculus. This is accomplished by mounting it on a concealed stem secured to the back of the coffer, all as detailed on the plans. The base of the dome is approximately  17' (5.2 m)  from the floor in order to visually expose the steps in the coffers as originally intended. The color scheme that has been adopted is in reference to the book "Color Image Scale" by Shigenobu Kobayashi of the Nippon Color and Design Research Institute. Structurally the dome is very strong and, I believe, far exceeds all requisite building standards. The National Building Code requires that buildings for residential construction must  be able to withstand a horizontal wind pressure of 20 lbs./sq.ft. The deadweight of the structure less the uplift times a coefficient of friction of 0.6 represents the horizontal resistance to the wind pressures. The dome construction meets the resistance criteria; the deadweight is significantly greater than the uplift and, with respect to rotation, the restoring moments are significantly greater than the sum of the overturning moments. Using a recognized loading formula for computing the strength of a beam each of the 28 wall members will sustain a uniformly distributed  load of 35 lbs./ft. applied on depth. The wall members support a deadweight of 10 lbs./ft. and have a 14" spacing at the bottom and converge to a 3" spacing at the top. The supporting structure for the dome was similarly engineered using recognized loading formulas. Nevertheless, since I exercise no control over construction and not being an accredited architect or engineer, any liability arising from the construction of the dome referred to herein shall be the sole responsibility of the presiding architect or engineer. I believe the representations made herein to be true in all respects, however, I assume no responsibility for their accuracy. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction. Subject to copyright. Owing to the nature of the offering, e.g. it can be readily copied, payment is non refundable. Notwithstanding the foregoing, payment can made to Paypal to be held in escrow until due diligence is exercised. Note. The price relates to the development costs associated with the following; -the structural design, -the geometric interpretation of the original dome of the Pantheon and the production therefrom of proportional geometric values for the subject dome including the coffers, -the determination of the ideal perspective and interrelationship of the dome with the rotunda, -the evaluation and testing of different building materials, -the building of a prototype, -the artist's rendering of the dome's adornment based on historical research,    -the incorporation of the final specifications into readily understood working drawings and text supported by templates.   Photography Photography is limited in its ability to capture the viseral effects of architecture. For example, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao Spain appears as a wondrous creation when viewed in person under certain light conditions. Conversely it appears almost diagramatic when seen in a photograph. Similarly photography fails to convey the transcendent power of the dome's interior at twilight when the guilded surfaces (the oculus , the sunburst and the stars)  become luminous against a darker background. It is during this period that one instinctively feels a connection to ancient religions and the Pantheon in all its original glory.                                                                                                                        Place a Bid!