Oculus (architecture)
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An oculus (from Latin oculus, meaning "eye"; pl. oculi) is a circular opening in the center 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".[1]
Contents
History
Classical
The oculus was used by the Ancient Romans, one of the finest examples being that in the dome of the Pantheon. Open to the weather, it allows rain and air 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.
Byzantine
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.[2]
Renaissance
Early examples of the oculus in Renaissance architecture can be seen in Florence Cathedral, in the nave clerestory and topping the crowns of the arcade arches.[3]
Neoclassical
Since the revival of dome construction beginning in the Italian Renaissance, open oculi have been replaced by light-transmitting cupolas and other round windows, openings, and skylights.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.[1][4]
Examples
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Dome of Pantheon (Rome).jpg
The Ancient Roman oculus of the Pantheon (Rome, Italy)
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Islamic oculus opening into a cupola in the Hasht Behesht (Isfahan, Iran)
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Gassicourt Sainte-Anne 327.JPG
Romanesque oculus of the Église Sainte-Anne de Gassicourt (Mantes-la-Jolie, France)
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Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Laon, tour-lanterne 02.jpg
Gothic oculus in the Laon Cathedral (Laon, France)
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Renaissance oculus of the Florence Cathedral (Florence, Italy)
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Oculi - - Altar of Our Lady of Sweat - Duomo - Ravenna 2016.jpg
Baroque oculus in a dome of the Ravenna Cathedral (Ravenna, Italy)
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Parc de Bagatelle @ Paris (27765814394).jpg
Rococo oculus in the Parc de Bagatelle (Paris)
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South gate of the Petit Trianon 004.JPG
Louis XVI round window of the Petit Trianon (Versailles, France), with a festoon-derived ornament at the top
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Georgsplatz 20, Fensterdetail, Hannover.jpg
Gothic Revival oculus of the Hannoversche Bank - Haus III on Georgstraße (Hannover, Germany)
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Opéra municipal de Clermont-Ferrand, œil de bœuf.jpg
19th century Eclectic Classicist oculus of the Opéra-Théâtre de Clermont-Ferrand (Clermont-Ferrand, France)
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Fenêtre sur le toit du Palais de Justice.JPG
Beaux-Arts dormer oculus of the Building of Préfecture de Police de Paris (île de la Cité)
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Louis Baralis HSBC 1.jpg
Art Nouveau oculus of the Hôtel Élysée Palace (Paris)
References
External links
The dictionary definition of oculus (architecture) at Wiktionary
