The Pantheon Prodject

Why the Pantheon is important The pantheon was an important symbolic dome. It was built to be for all the gods, including Emperor Hadrian’s father. The original name for Pantheon in Rome is “Pantheion.” Many of the engineering techniques used to build the Pantheon are still used today. These techniques were one of the few reasons the Pantheon still stands today. The Pantheon was a very important building in Rome. It was the biggest dome of the 20th century. It only took 10 years to build this 178 feet high, 142 feet wide structure, which has a foundation of 23 feet.

Where it is The Pantheon was built in Rome Italy by Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian’s son built the forum of the Pantheon. Hadrian’s father was considered a god after he died. Because Hadrian was the son, he built the Pantheon for all gods, which was completed in A.D 128.

The Construction The Pantheon was one of the emperor’s official places of business. The porch of the Pantheon was supported by eight columns. Inside the Pantheon the ceilings pushed down on columns. Though they built coffers to lower the weight. Coffers were sunken panels in the walls of the dome to make the weight lighter. The coffers reduced 5% of the weight. Some people might think that’s little, but 5% of 5000 tons of cement is 250 tons! You might have noticed that there is a hole at the top of the Pantheon; it is called the “oculus.” It is 30 feet across and provides the only source of light, because there are no windows in the Pantheon.

By Eamon and Robert September, 2005 The Pantheon