List of world's largest domes

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Domes are in architectural terms particularly demanding structures. A dome may be defined as a self-supporting structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere.

In the following, domes are classified according to three different categories. The defining criteron is in each case the diameter of the largest circular cross-section of the dome.

  • The temporal dimension: World's largest domes in history
  • The geographic dimension: Largest domes by continent
  • The constructional dimension: Largest domes by structure


Dome of the Pantheon in Rome with oculus. Largest dome in the world for more than 1600 years.
Dome of the Pantheon in Rome with oculus. Largest dome in the world for more than 1600 years.
Oval dome of St. Gereon's Basilica in Cologne, Germany.
Oval dome of St. Gereon's Basilica in Cologne, Germany.

Contents

[edit] World's largest domes in history

Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome in the world.1)

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1250 BC – 1st century BC 14.5 m [1] 'Treasure of Atreus' Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae 1300-1250 BC Corbel dome
1st century BC – 128 AD 21.5 m [2] 'Temple of Mercury' Baiae, Italy Roman Empire 1st century BC Concrete dome
128 – 1781 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire 128 Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world
1781 – 1913 46.0 m St. Blaise's Abbey St. Blaise, Germany Benedictine monastery 1781
1913 – 1930 65.0 m [3] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich 1913 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930 – 1944 65.8 m [4] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich 1930 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1944 – 71.0 m [5] V-2 Bunker La Coupole Wizernes, France Nazi Germany 1944 Reinforced concrete dome, 5m thick

1) It is requested that additional entries should be made on the basis of credible print or online sources. Please provide your sources.

[edit] By continent

Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome on their continent.1)

[edit] Europe

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1250 BC - 1st century BC 14.5 m [1] 'Treasure of Atreus' Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae 1300-1250 BC Corbel dome
1st century BC - 128 AD 21.5 m [2] 'Temple of Mercury' Baiae, Italy Roman Empire 1st century BC Concrete dome
128 - 1781 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire 128 Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world
1781 - 1913 46.0 m St. Blaise's Abbey St. Blaise, Germany Benedictine monastery 1781
1913 - 1930 65.0 m [3] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich 1913 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930 - 1944 65.8 m [4] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich 1930 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1944 - 71.0 m [5] V2-Bunker La Coupole Wizernes, France Nazi Germany 1944 Reinforced concrete dome, 5m thick

[edit] America

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Constructed Comment
1864 - 29.0 m [6] Capitol Washington D.C., USA USA 1864 Architect Thomas Walter
1983 - 161.5 m[citation needed] Tacoma Dome Tacoma, WA, USA City of Tacoma, WA 1983 Geodesic dome

[edit] Africa

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Constructed Comment

[edit] Asia

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Constructed Comment
691 - 20.37 m Dome of the Rock Jerusalem Umayyad Empire 691 First monumental building of Islam, erected in Byzantine architectural style

[edit] Australia

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Constructed Comment

1) It is requested that additional entries should be made on the basis of credible print or online sources. Please provide your sources.

[edit] By structure

Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome in terms of their structure.1)

[edit] Stone

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1250 BC - today 14.5 m [1] 'Treasure of Atreus' Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae 1300-1250 BC Corbel dome

[edit] Concrete

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1st century BC - 128 AD 21.5 m [2] 'Temple of Mercury' Baiae, Italy Roman Empire 1st century BC Concrete dome
128 - 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire 128 Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world

[edit] Masonry

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
563-1436 31.5 m Hagia Sophia Istanbul, Turkey Byzantine Empire 563 First pendentive dome in history. First completed in 537, rebuilt in 563 after earthquake. Architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus.
1436- 42-45 m2) The Duomo Florence, Italy City state of Florence 1436 First double-dome structure in Europe

Notes:
2) Figures vary. ArchINFORM gives a 45 m wide tambour, while Structurae.de gives a 43 m diameter of the cupola, others as little as 42 m.

[edit] Cast iron

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1864 - 29.0 m [6] United States Capitol Washington D.C., USA USA 1864 Architect Thomas Walter

[edit] Reinforced concrete

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1913 - 1930 65.0 m [3] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich 1913 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930 - 1944 65.8 m [4] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich 1930 Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1944 - 71.0 m [5] V2-Bunker La Coupole Wizernes, France Nazi Germany 1944 Reinforced concrete dome, 5m thick

[edit] Wood

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Completed Comment
1983 - 161.5 m[citation needed] Tacoma Dome Tacoma, WA, USA City of Tacoma, WA 1983 Geodesic dome

1) It is requested that additional entries should be made on the basis of credible print or online sources. Please provide your sources.

[edit] Famous large domes

Below is a list of large domes which are considered particularly important for various reasons.1)

Completed Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1227 21.0 m long
16.9 m wide [7]		 St. Gereon's Basilica Cologne, Germany Bishop or city? Oval shape, largest occidental dome built between Hagia Sophia and the Duomo
1405 18.2 m Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi Türkistan, Kazakhstan Tamerlane Double dome
1557 27.2 m Suleiman Mosque Istanbul, Turkey Ottoman Empire Sinan architect
1575 31.2 m [8] Selimiye Mosque Edirne, Turkey Ottoman Empire Sinan architect
1590 42.3 m St. Peter's Basilica Rome, Vatican City The Holy See Double dome
1641 17.7 m [9] Taj Mahal Agra, India Mughal Empire
1710 30.8 m [10] St. Paul's Cathedral London, England British Empire
1871 45.0 m [11] Mosta Dome Mosta, Malta British Empire

1) It is requested that additional entries should be made on the basis of credible print or online sources. Please provide your sources.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Structurae.de: Treasury of Atreus
  2. ^ a b c d e f R. Mark and P. Hutchinson, "On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon", Art Bulletin 68, March 1986, p.24
  3. ^ a b c UNESCO World Heritage: Centennial Hall in Breslau
  4. ^ a b c Structurae.de: Leipzig Market Hall
  5. ^ a b c Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France: Schotterwerk Nord West (SNW) : Base V2
  6. ^ a b H. Hagedann & Ch. Plato: Kuppeln historisch
  7. ^ Werner Schäfke: Kölns romanische Kirchen. Architektur, Ausstattung, Geschichte. Köln, 1985, 5. ed. 288 pp., p.100&118, ISBN 3-7701-1360-8
  8. ^ Structurae.de: Selimiye Mosque
  9. ^ Structurae.de: Taj Mahal
  10. ^ R. Mark and P. Hutchinson, "On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon", Art Bulletin 68, March 1986, p.34
  11. ^ Chevron Air Holidays: Mosta

[edit] See also

Superlatives of Architecture:

[edit] External links

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