Dome

"Dome" - 12" X 9" Acrylic on paper

Domes have always intrigued me. I think the invention of domes was significant in the world of architecture, both in terms of engineering and in terms of art. Being in a dome often has given me some sort of an uplifting experience that's hard to explain. It was only when I read The Agony and the Ecstasy, a biography of Michelangelo recently, that I realized this was not some grandeur that only I had built up in my mind, but rather, a feeling many people have shared consciously or unconsciously, down the millenia, which is why domes are so prevalent in places of worship. That takes me to the question of why South Indian temples have a completely different structure, albeit beautiful too. Hope to comprehend that some day.

Following are excerpts of text about domes, the first from one of my early writings Silence... Beckoning Silence from years back, and the second, from the book I just mentioned. I was quite amazed at reading ideas similar to what I'd written, years after I'd written them.

Excerpt 1

"...I slowly shift my gaze upward. Why a dome? There's light cutting through the skylights on the sides of the dome, and there's air flowing in and out, up and down doing a dance of release; I ask myself “Why a dome?” A dome has a broad base that's a circle. Broad base…makes me think of all encompassing, all embracing. Circle… is that not a polygon with infinite edges? How many facets are there to life, to the world, to quality, to the mind, to the universe? Infinite! And wait…circle…sure enough, is that not what the Greeks thought was a perfect geometric shape? The dome gently sprawls upward – as if to lead anyone at the base higher. Where does it all end? At a single point – the crest of the dome - the seat of consciousness, knowledge, perfection, exhilaration...."

Excerpt 2

"...A dome was not a mere covering; any roof would serve that utilitarian purpose. A dome was a major work of art, the perfect blending of sculpture and architecture in displacing space and adding to the firmament. The perfect dome went from horizon to horizon in man's mind, covering it with grace. It was the most natural of all architectural forms, and the most celestial, for it aspired to recreate the sublime form under which humanity spent the days of its years. ...

He wanted his dome to be mystical, not a protection from heat or rain, thunder or lightning, but of a staggering beauty that would reassure man of His presence... a sentient form which man could not only see and feel but enter..."

I find domes interesting from an engineering perspective also, and marvel about how the first dome was ever built. My first guess was that it was built with staggered bricks kind of like this:
(If cement is used for filling/leveling to make the dome look smooth, as shown, of course we need some way of making the cement underneath the skeleton of the dome stay, perhaps some adhesive substance)

My next guess (and this was all years back), was that the bricks were probably curved too, like this:

Recently I had a most interesting and enlightening discussion with my dad about the architecture of domes, and learnt that staggering bricks, and then levelling out gaps with cement to produce a smooth surface, which was my first guess, has the disadvantage of adding too much weight to the structure, making it less stable and prone to collapsing over itself. He said 'radial bricks' (the curvy ones) are what are used. Depending on the intended shape of the dome, i.e, whether the section is a perfect semi circle, or a parabola etc., the shape, size and angle of curvature of the radial bricks can be varied.

The picture on top is my latest painting, of a dome seen from inside the dome.

I dedicate the painting and this post to my dad, to the world of architecture and the idea of a dome. I found this painting quite challenging, not just because of the level of intricacy it demanded for painting, but even to put the image on paper; i.e., to draw it. I used a picture from an Internet search as a guide. It looked psychedelic and my brain took time to comprehend the geometry in it enough for me to be able to sketch. After some thinking, the idea popped up: when you're viewing the dome, not from the exact center point but off center, in place of concentric circles you see a bunch of circles (also growing in radii) but with the center points shifting radially downward. Once the bulb lit up, it was very natural to produce the spiral (?) / flower like patterns. They just had to sit at the circumference of the circles... another reason architecture fascinates me- demands (and cultivates ?) spatial intelligence.