Oculus

For other uses, see Oculus (disambiguation).

The oculus (top) in the dome of the Pantheon, Rome

An oculus (plural oculi, from Latin oculus, 'eye') is a circular opening in the centre of a dome or in a wall. Originating in antiquity, it is a feature of Byzantine and Neoclassical architecture. It is also known as an œil de boeuf from the French, or simply a "bull's-eye".

Classical example

The oculus was used by the Romans, one of the finest examples being that in the dome of the Pantheon. Open to the weather, it allows rain to enter and fall to the floor, where it is carried away through drains. Though the opening looks small, it actually has a diameter of 27 ft (8.2 m) allowing it to light the building just as the sun lights the earth. The rain also keeps the building cool during the hot summer months.

Byzantine architecture

The oculus was widely used in the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. It was applied to buildings in Syria in the 5th and 6th centuries and again in the 10th century. In Constantinople's Myrelaion Church (c. 920), there are two oculi above the stringcourse on both lateral facades.

Neoclassical revival

Early examples of the oculus in Renaissance architecture can be seen in Florence Cathedral, in the nave clerestorey and topping the crowns of the arcade arches.

Since the revival of dome construction beginning in the Italian Renaissance, open oculi have been replaced by light-transmitting cupolas and other round windows, openings, and skylights. They can be seen in the pediments of Palladio's Villa Rotonda, though not in the dome. Use of oculus windows became more popular in Baroque architecture. Widely used by Neo-Palladian architects including Colen Campbell, one can be seen in the dome of Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda at the University of Virginia.

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  Effect of the view into a cupola through an oculus under natural light (Wambierzyce, Poland)

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  Detail of oculus set in a cartouche with the head of Mercury (Beaux-Arts New York and New Jersey Telephone Company Building, Brooklyn)

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  View of an oculus opening into a cupola in the Hasht Behesht, Isfahan (1699)

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  Oculi in San Pedro, Calasparra, Spain