Among the many latest traits is a flat dome referred to as Rohtak domes, named after a household of masons from Rohtak in Haryana, who journey throughout India constructing domes, if invited.
Pyramids might be among the many oldest of human development nonetheless standing as we speak, but it surely’s easy to grasp why – only a huge heap of stones. What’s among the many most astonishing still-standing historic construction? There might be many solutions, one amongst them being the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae, Greece standing robust for over 3200 years! Supposedly commissioned by King Agamemmon its well-known for its corbelled masonry dome, the earliest extant instance we now have.
Domes had been the earliest development strategies people found to cowl giant areas, the Pantheon dome was constructed with Roman concrete attaining 140 ft diameter method again 2000 years in the past, solely to be rivalled by St. Peters in Rome 500 years in the past, and our personal Gol Gumbaz 400 years in the past, each simply few extra ft in diameter, however constructed with bricks. Structural but monumental; robust but elegant; column free but protected; easy to see but lovely; there’s nothing to equal the magnificence of domed roofs.
Nevertheless, as fashionable development strategies got here to remain, the calculation primarily based and labour-intensive brick domes had been relegated to the again seat, solely to be employed for particular instances of splendor and grandeur. It survived the onslaught of sloping tiled roofs and flat stone slab roofs, however the introduction of metal and concrete expertise made individuals ignore masonry domes as outdated relics of the previous.
Occasional failures of badly constructed domes added to the general public apprehension. Regardless of this downfall in reputation, each customer to historic cities would have returned dwelling after seeing few domes no less than.
Whereas domes light from mainstream tasks, few engineers and designers the world over didn’t overlook them. They re-discovered the way to construct them with bricks with larger advantages than concrete primarily based techniques, main amongst such figures being architect Hassan Fathy of Egypt who popularised Nubian strategies of creating of domes about 80 years in the past. Merely stated, it didn’t want any supporting scaffolds, therefore quicker, simpler and cheaper.
After all, domes didn’t return to the mainstream straight away, so this occurring lately because of the consciousness of local weather change inflicting fashionable development techniques. Individuals eager on eco-friendly strategies are returning to the roots now, domed roofs being one amongst them, be it regular hemispherical brick dome, segmental domes with soil cement blocks, Mexican domes, flat domes or domes over diversified base geometries.
Among the many latest trending is a flat dome technique referred to as Rohtak domes, named after the household of masons from Rohtak in Haryana (about 70 kms from Delhi), who’re travelling throughout India constructing domes if invited. After all, following their footsteps few different individuals and organisations have additionally began constructing them. These domes have to be defined intimately for his or her contexts and advantages for common consciousness.
Philosophically we will theorise the hemispherical dome over the room because the sky over the earth, the instant roof as a micro-cosmic miniature of the macro phenomenon. Think about a home with a dome and structure of domes!
(The writer is an architect engaged on eco-friendly designs)