Dome

A dome is a rounded roof structure spanning an area, formed from curved masonry, concrete, or a framework. Its geometry carries loads toward supports around its base.

Spherical cap: A portion of a sphere bounded by a plane, often used as a dome’s geometric form. This geometry describes many domes and determines how their curvature distributes loads.
Arch: A curved structure spanning an opening and carrying loads through compression to its supports. The arch is a basic compressive form underlying many masonry dome systems.
Pantheon: A Roman temple in Rome, completed under Hadrian, whose unreinforced concrete dome has a central oculus. Its massive coffered dome demonstrates Roman concrete construction at exceptional scale.
Barrel vault: A continuous semicircular or pointed vault extending along a straight axis. Unlike a dome, it spans mainly in one direction rather than radiating around a center.
Thin-shell structure: A lightweight structure whose thin curved surface carries loads through its shape. Many modern domes use shell action to cover wide spaces with little material.
Membrane action: Structural behavior in which a thin surface carries forces within its own plane. Masonry domes rely on in-plane forces to carry much of their weight.
Pendentive: A concave triangular surface that transitions from a square bay to the circular base of a dome. Pendentives support domes over square spaces without corner-spanning squinches.
Hagia Sophia: A sixth-century church in Istanbul, later used as a mosque, museum, and mosque again. Its central dome and pendentives became a defining example of Byzantine architecture.
Groin vault: A vault formed by the intersection of two barrel vaults at right angles. Its crossing ridges distinguish it from a roof whose surface curves around a central crown.
Air-supported structure: A building enclosure held up by air pressure maintained above atmospheric pressure inside it. Inflatable domes use internal pressure instead of masonry or a rigid frame for support.

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