The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny

By William L. MacDonald

Book Overview

ranks--along with Cheops's pyramid, the Parthenon, Wren's churches, Mansard's palaces-as an architectural archetype.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674653467
• ISBN13: 9780674653467
• Release Date: January 1981
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 6.3" x 0.5"

Customer Reviews

Tastily Edifying

William L. MacDonald presents an unpretentious and sound survey of Rome's most famous yet least understood architectural icon. For those with a keen but novitiate interest in the Pantheon, or casual readers of Roman history, this book is ideal; it's not overwhelmingly fact-laden and it's as assimilable as an afternoon snack. For those interested in the engineering, logistics and constitution of the Pantheon I would suggest some of the recent work by the Engineer David Moore. Historically MacDonald's ideas are consistent with previous analyses and include an interesting metaphysical supposition for the Pantheon's ambitious dimensions ("to unify unities...is the Pantheons ultimate meaning" - pg. 88). The final chapter offers an insightful survey of similar designs from ancient Mycenae to Neoclassical American, showing how influencing, and influenced, Hadrian's rebuilt Pantheon was as a western idiom and architectural paragon. All-in-all I enjoyed reading this book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it!