Pendentive dome
Pendentive is the term given to a construction element that allows a dome to be placed over square or rectangular spaces. Pendentives are triangular segments of a sphere that spread at the top and taper to points at the bottom, thereby enabling the continuous circular or elliptical base needed to support the dome. The horizontal curve of the dome’s base is connected directly to the vertical curves of the four supporting arches on each corner. Where the curve of the pendentive and dome is continuous, the vaulting form is known as a pendentive dome.
The pendentives receive the outward force from the dome’s weight and concentrate it at the four corners where it is directed down the columns to the foundations beneath. Prior to the development of pendentives, dome construction either demanded that the supporting structure was round, such as in Rome’s Pantheon, or were supported by corbelling or the use of squinches (a construction filling to form a base) in the corners of a room that allowed the dome to sit on top of four arches. Both of these methods limited the possible width and height of the dome. By directing force away from the walls, pendentive domes could be constructed much larger and higher.
The Romans were the first to experiment with pendentive domes in the 2nd-3rd century AD. They saw the supporting of a dome over an enclosed square or polygonal space as a particular architectural challenge.
Byzantine architects perfected the construction methods, and as a result pendentives are a common feature of Islamic architecture, often used with delicate ribbing. Pendentive domes were commonly built for Orthodox, Rennaissance and Baroque churches, in particular in Roman Catholic Europe and Latin America.
A major early example of a pendentive dome is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul which was completed in AD 537. Another famous example is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem from the 7th century.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architrave.
- Barrel vault.
- Bas-relief.
- Cantilever.
- Classical orders in architecture.
- Conoid shell.
- Flying buttress.
- Folded plate construction.
- Geodesic dome.
- Hagia Sophia.
- Hyperbolic paraboloid.
- Masonry.
- Millennium Dome.
- Portal frame.
- Purlins.
- Shell roof.
- The development of structural membranes.
- The history of fabric structures.
- Types of dome.
- Why are domes popular?
Featured articles and news
About the 5 Percent Club and its members
The 5% Club; a dynamic movement of employers committed to building and developing the workforce.
New Homes in New Ways at the Building Centre
Accelerating the supply of new homes with MMC.
Quality Planning for Micro and Small to Medium Sized Enterprises
A CIOB Academy Technical Information sheet.
A briefing on fall protection systems for designers
A legal requirement and an ethical must.
CIOB Ireland launches manifesto for 2024 General Election
A vision for a sustainable, high-quality built environment that benefits all members of society.
Local leaders gain new powers to support local high streets
High Street Rental Auctions to be introduced from December.
Infrastructure sector posts second gain for October
With a boost for housebuilder and commercial developer contract awards.
Sustainable construction design teams survey
Shaping the Future of Sustainable Design: Your Voice Matters.
COP29; impacts of construction and updates
Amid criticism, open letters and calls for reform.
The properties of conservation rooflights
Things to consider when choosing the right product.
Adapting to meet changing needs.
London Build: A festival of construction
Co-located with the London Build Fire & Security Expo.
Tasked with locating groups of 10,000 homes with opportunity.
Delivering radical reform in the UK energy market
What are the benefits, barriers and underlying principles.
Information Management Initiative IMI
Building sector-transforming capabilities in emerging technologies.
Recent study of UK households reveals chilling home truths
Poor insulation, EPC knowledge and lack of understanding as to what retrofit might offer.