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List of largest domes in the world

 
Wikipedia: List of largest domes in the world
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The dome of the Pantheon in Rome with oculus was the largest dome in the world for more than 1700 years.
Oval dome of St. Gereon's Basilica in Cologne, Germany.
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

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; this definition excludes structures such as The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) in London which is 365 m (1,198 ft) in diameter and supported by masts.

In the following, domes are classified according to three different categories. The defining criteron is in each case the inner 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

Contents

World's largest domes in history

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

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1250 BC–
1st c. BC		 14.5 m [1] Treasury of Atreus Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae Corbel dome
1st c. BC–
19 BC		 21.5 m [2] Temple of Mercury Baiae, Italy Roman Empire First monumental dome[3]
19 BC–
beginning of 2nd. c.		 25.0 m [4] Baths of Agrippa,
'Arco della Ciambella'		 Rome, Italy Roman Empire First Thermae in Rome with a domed central building[4]
Beginning of 2nd. c.–
128		 30.0 m [5] Baths of Trajan Rome, Italy Roman Empire Half dome
128–1881 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7]
1881–1902 46.9 m [8] Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton, UK Cotton Famine Relief Fund Converted from a horse stables to a hospital. Slate covered iron frame. Architect Robert Rippon Duke
1902–1913 59.45 m [9] West Baden Springs Hotel West Baden, Indiana, USA Lee Wiley Sinclair Steel and glass dome. Architect Harrison Albright
1913–1930 65.0 m [10] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930–1955 65.8 m [11] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1955–1957 101.5 m [12] Bojangles' Coliseum Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Thompson and Street Structural Steel dome. Architect Odell and Associates
1957–1965 109 m [13] Belgrade Fair - Hall 1 Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade Fair World's largest prestressed concrete dome
1965–1975 195,5 m
(642 ft) [14][15]		 Reliant Astrodome Houston, Texas, USA H.A. Lott, Inc. First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15]
1975–1992 207 m
(678 ft) [15]		 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, USA  ? Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis
1992–2001 256.0 m [17] Georgia Dome Atlanta, Georgia, USA Georgia World Congress Center Authority Tensegrity structure
2001–present 274 m Ōita Stadium Ōita, Japan Kisho Kurokawa Retractable roof

By continent

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

Europe

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1250 BC–
1st c. BC		 14.5 m [1] Treasury of Atreus Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae Corbel dome
1st c. BC–
19 BC		 21.5 m [2] Temple of Mercury Baiae, Italy Roman Empire First monumental dome[3]
19 BC–
beginning of 2nd. c.		 25.0 m [4] Baths of Agrippa,
'Arco della Ciambella'		 Rome, Italy Roman Empire First Thermae in Rome with a domed central building[4]
Beginning of 2nd. c.–
128		 30.0 m [5] Baths of Trajan Rome, Italy Roman Empire Half dome
128–1881 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7]
1881–1913 46.9 m [8] Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton, UK Cotton Famine Relief Fund Converted from a horse stables to a hospital. Slate covered iron frame. Architect Robert Rippon Duke
1913–1930 65.0 m [10] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930–1957 65.8 m [11] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1957–present 109 m [13] Belgrade Fair - Hall 1 Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade Fair World's largest prestressed concrete dome

North America

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1864–1902 29.0 m [18] Capitol Washington D.C., USA USA Architect Thomas U. Walter
1902–1963 61.0 m [9] West Baden Springs Hotel West Baden, Indiana, USA Lee Wiley Sinclair Architect Harrison Albright
1963–1965 121.9 m [19] Assembly Hall Champaign, Illinois, United States University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Abramovitz
1965–1975 195,5 m
(642 ft) [14][15]		 Reliant Astrodome Houston, Texas, USA H.A. Lott, Inc. First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15]
1975–1992 207 m
(678 ft) [15]		 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, USA  ? Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis
1992–present 256.0 m [17] Georgia Dome Atlanta, Georgia, USA Georgia World Congress Center Authority Tensegrity structure

South America

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment

Asia

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
2nd c.–150 11.5 m [20] Red Hall Pergamon, Turkey Roman Empire Brick
150–1312 23.85 m [21] Zeus Asklepios Temple Pergamon, Turkey Roman Empire Earliest monumental brick dome[22]
1312–1659 25.60 m Soltaniyeh Soltaniyeh, Zanjan, Iran Ilkhanate
1659–1937 37 m [23] Gol Gumbaz Bijapur, India Sultanate of Bijapur Mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah II (1627-57) of the Sultanate of Bijapur
1937 - 1960 45 m [24] Phsar Thom Thmei Phnom Penh, Cambodia Jean Desbois Known as the "Central Market" in English
1960–2001 108 m Araneta Coliseum Quezon City, Philippines J. Amado Araneta Also known as the Big Dome, it opened as the world's biggest indoor venue in 1960.
2001–present 245 m Ōita Stadium Ōita, Japan Kisho Kurokawa World's largest dome, known as the Big Eye

Africa

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
2nd c.–1988 22.00 [25] Baths of Antoninus Carthage, Tunisia Roman Empire Seven domes with diameters between 17 and 22 m[25]
1988–1997  ? Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast Ivory Coast Modeled after the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
1997–present 140.0 m [26] Coca-Cola Dome Johannesburg, South Africa Sports arena

Australia

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1988-2000 133 m Burswood Superdome Perth, Western Australia
2000-present 198 m Docklands Stadium Melbourne, Victoria

By structure

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

Stone

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1250 BC–150/175 AD 14.5 m [1] Treasury of Atreus Mycenae, Greece City state of Mycenae Corbel dome
150/175 AD–2006 AD 15.0 m [27] Western Thermae Gerasa, Jordan Roman Empire One of the earliest voussoir domes with square ground plan[27]
2006 AD-present 85.15 m [28] Global Vipassana Pagoda Mumbai, India. Global Vipassana Foundation The stone dome was completed in October 2006. The monument was officially inaugurated on February 8, 2009.

Concrete

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1st c. BC–
1st c. BC		 6.52 m [3] Stabiae Thermae,
Laconicum		 Pompeii, Italy Roman Empire Cone vault (early form of a dome). Oldest known concrete dome[3]
1st c. BC–
19 BC		 21.5 m [2] Temple of Mercury Baiae, Italy Roman Empire First monumental dome[3]
128–present 43.4 m [2] Pantheon Rome, Italy Roman Empire Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7]

Masonry

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
2nd c.–150 11.5 m [20] Red Hall Pergamon, Turkey Roman Empire Brick
150–beginning of 4th c. 23.85 m [21] Zeus Asklepios Temple Pergamon, Turkey Roman Empire Earliest monumental brick dome[22]
Beginning of 4th c.–563 24.15 m [22] Rotunda of St. George Thessaloniki, Greece Roman Empire Radially laid bricks[22]
563–1436 31.5 m Hagia Sophia Istanbul, Turkey Byzantine Empire First pendentive dome in history. First completed in 537, rebuilt in 563 after earthquake. Architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
1436–present 42-45 m [29] The Duomo Florence, Italy City state of Florence First double-dome structure of the Renaissance

Clay hollowware

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
Beginning of 3rd. c.–216 12.0 m [25] Thermae of Aquae Flavianae El Hammam, Algeria Roman Empire Earthenware pipes put together
216–present 35.08 m [30] Baths of Caracalla,
Caldarium		 Rome, Italy Roman Empire Amphora put together

Wood

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
691–1781 20.40 m [18] Dome of the Rock Jerusalem, Israel Umayyad Empire First monumental building of Islam, erected in Byzantine architectural style
1781–1977 36.0 m [31][32] St. Blaise's Abbey St. Blaise, Germany Pierre Michel d'Ixnard Third widest dome in Europe at the time of its construction[31]
1977–1983 153.0 m Walkup Skydome Flagstaff, Arizona, USA Northern Arizona University Geodesic dome
1983–1991 161.5 m Tacoma Dome Tacoma, Washington, USA City of Tacoma, WA Geodesic dome
1991–present 163.4 m Superior Dome Marquette, Michigan, USA State of Michigan/Northern Michigan University Geodesic dome

Cast iron

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1864–present 29.0 m [18] United States Capitol dome Washington D.C., USA USA Architect Thomas U. Walter

Steel

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1902–1965 59.45 m [9] West Baden Springs Hotel West Baden, Indiana, USA Lee Wiley Sinclair Steel and glass dome. Architect Harrison Albright
1965–1975 195,5 m
(642 ft) [14][15]		 Reliant Astrodome Houston, Texas, USA H.A. Lott, Inc. First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15]
1975–present 207 m
(678 ft) [15]		 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, USA  ? Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis

Reinforced concrete

Held record Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1913–1930 65.0 m [10] Centennial Hall Breslau, Poland Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg
1930–1960 65.8 m [11] Leipzig Market Hall Leipzig, Germany Deutsches Reich Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger
1960–1963 100.6 m [19] Palazzo dello Sport Rome, Italy 1960 Summer Olympics Reinforced concrete dome. Arch./Engr. Pier Luigi Nervi
1963–1971 121.9 m [19] Assembly Hall Champaign, Illinois, United States University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Abramovitz
1971-1976, 2000-present 134.1 m [19] Norfolk Scope Norfolk, Virginia, United States City of Norfolk Reinforced concrete dome. Arch./Engr. Pier Luigi Nervi
1976–2000 201.0 m [19][33] Kingdome Seattle, Washington, United States King County, Washington Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Naramore, Skilling and Praeger. Demolished in 2000

Famous large domes

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

Completed Diameter Name Location Builder Comment
1626 42.3m [3] St Peter's Basilica Rome, Italy Michael Angelo And Holy See Worlds Tallest And Two Layer Dome
ca. 64 13.48 m [3] Domus Aurea Rome, Italy Roman Empire First dome with a polygonal ground plan (octagon). First in palace architecture[3]
1227 21.0 m long
16.9 m wide [34]		 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 Architect Sinan
1575 31.2 m [35] Selimiye Mosque Edirne, Turkey Ottoman Empire Architect Sinan
1436 42-45 m [36] The Duomo Florence, Italy City state of Florence First double-dome structure of the Renaissance, set the standards for all renaissance and baroque domes; to this day the largest brick and mortar dome ever built.
1641 17.7 m [37] Taj Mahal Agra, India Mughal Empire
1710 30.8 m [38] St. Paul's Cathedral London, England Christopher Wren Double dome. The two domes are separated by a cone over the top of the inner which helps support the outer
1781 36.0 m [31][32] St. Blaise's Abbey St. Blaise, Germany Pierre Michel d'Ixnard Third widest dome in Europe at the time of its construction[31]
1871 45.0 m [39] Mosta Dome Mosta, Malta George Grongnet de Vassé Third largest unsupported dome in the world
1894 31.0 m [40] Marble Church Copenhagen, Denmark Frederick V Built from 1749 to 1894 by three different architects, with no construction done from 1770 to 1877
1944 61.0 m [41][42] V-2 Bunker La Coupole Wizernes, France Nazi Germany Reinforced concrete dome, 5m thick
1960 108 m Araneta Coliseum Quezon City, Philippines J. Amado Araneta Also known as the Big Dome, it opened as the world's biggest indoor venue in 1960.
1904 15.24 m Rhode Island State House Providence, Rhode Island Fourth-largest unsupported marble dome in the world.[43][44]
1988 51.8m Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Biggest mosque in Malaysia, second biggest in South East Asia. Also known as Blue Mosque. Can accommodate up to 16,000 workshippers
2009  ? Medgidia Clincher Storage Facility Medgidia, Romania World's largest clincher storage facility

References

  1. ^ a b c Treasury of Atreus in the Structurae database
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Robert Mark, Paul Hutchinson: "On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon", Art Bulletin, Vol. 68, No. 1 (1986), p.24
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Rasch 1985, p. 118
  4. ^ a b c d Werner Heinz: "Römische Thermen. Badewesen und Badeluxus im römischen Reich", München 1983, ISBN 3-7774-3540-6, p.60-64
  5. ^ a b Rasch 1985, p. 119
  6. ^ a b c Romanconcrete.com
  7. ^ a b c Werner Müller: "dtv - Atlas Baukunst I. Allgemeiner Teil: Baugeschichte von Mesopotamien bis Byzanz", 14. Aufl., 2005, ISBN 3423030208, p.253
  8. ^ a b E. P. Copp: "The Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton", Rheumatology, Vol. 43 (2004), p.385
  9. ^ a b c Wayne Curtis: "Back home in Indiana", Preservation, Vol. 59, No. 3 (2007), pp.40-47
  10. ^ a b c UNESCO World Heritage: Centennial Hall in Breslau
  11. ^ a b c Leipzig Market Hall in the Structurae database
  12. ^ SURVEY AND RESEARCH REPORT ON THE CHARLOTTE COLISEUM http://www.cmhpf.org/Surveys&rCharlotte%20Coliseum%20Update.htm
  13. ^ a b Belgrade Fair (Beogradski Sajam), Hall 1
  14. ^ a b c Encarta: Kuppel. Archived 2009-10-31.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i Encyclopædia Britannica: Astrodome
  16. ^ a b c Archrecord.construction.com: Now infamous, Superdome once stood as a great New Orleans landmark
  17. ^ a b Building Big Databank: Georgia Dome, PBS Online/WGBH
  18. ^ a b c H. Hagedann & Ch. Plato: Kuppeln historisch
  19. ^ a b c d e Monolithic.com: Reinforced Concrete Thin Shell Sports Facilities
  20. ^ a b Rasch 1985, p. 137
  21. ^ a b Rasch 1985, p. 129
  22. ^ a b c d Rasch 1985, p. 125
  23. ^ Manfred Görgens: "Kleine Geschichte der indischen Kunst", DuMont, Köln 1986, ISBN 3-7701-1543-0, p.226
  24. ^ Phnom Penh Central Market in the Structurae database
  25. ^ a b c Rasch 1985, p. 124
  26. ^ Coca-Cola Dome: Dimensions of Coca-Cola Dome
  27. ^ a b Rasch 1985, p. 126
  28. ^ "Salient Features - Global Pagoda website". http://www.globalpagoda.org/Default3.aspx?parentid=3&levelid=18. Retrieved 2009-02-12. 
  29. ^ Figures vary. archINFORM gives a 45 m wide tambour, while Santa Maria del Fiore in the Structurae database gives a 43 m diameter of the cupola, others as little as 42 m.
  30. ^ Erwin Heinle, Jörg Schlaich: "Kuppeln aller Zeiten, aller Kulturen", Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-421-03062-6, p.27
  31. ^ a b c d Website of the Dom St. Blasien
  32. ^ a b Schnell Kunstführer: "St. Blasien/Schwarzwald", No. 555, Regensburg 2001, ISBN 3-7954-4017-3, p.7
  33. ^ Kingdome.org: Internet Tribute to the Former Kingdome
  34. ^ Werner Schäfke: "Kölns romanische Kirchen. Architektur, Ausstattung, Geschichte", Köln, 1985, 5. ed., ISBN 3-7701-1360-8, p.100&118
  35. ^ Selimiye Mosque in the Structurae database
  36. ^ Figures vary. Both archINFORM and Giuseppe Rocchi Coopmans de Yoldi, Santa Maria del Fiore - la Cupola. Firenze, Università degli Studi, 1999, the more accurate survey published so far, give a 45 m wide tambour, while Santa Maria del Fiore in the Structurae database gives a 43 m diameter of the cupola, others as little as 42 m.
  37. ^ Taj Mahal in the Structurae database
  38. ^ Robert Mark, Paul Hutchinson: "On the Structure of the Roman Pantheon", Art Bulletin, Vol. 68, No. 1 (1986) p.34
  39. ^ Chevron Air Holidays: Mosta
  40. ^ Marmorkirken.dk: Marble Church
  41. ^ Inventaire général des monuments et des richesses artistiques de la France: Schotterwerk Nord West (SNW) : Base V2 (the number of 71.0 m given here refers to the outer diameter)
  42. ^ Dimensioned cross section of the central part of the bunker complex in Wizernes, France
  43. ^ http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/FactFig/
  44. ^ http://www.visitrhodeisland.com/what-to-do/heritage-trails/providence-heritage-trail/

Sources

  • Rasch, Jürgen (1985), "Die Kuppel in der römischen Architektur. Entwicklung, Formgebung, Konstruktion", Architectura 15: 117–139 

Other dome lists

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