The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny, with a New Foreword by John Pinto, Second Edition

by William L. MacDonald

Book Overview

The Pantheon in Rome is one of the grand architectural statements of all ages. This richly illustrated book isolates the reasons for its extraordinary impact on Western architecture, discussing the Pantheon as a building in its time but also as a building for all time.

Mr. MacDonald traces the history of the structure since its completion and examines its progeny--domed rotundas with temple-fronted porches built from the second century to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674010191
• ISBN13: 9780674010192
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.1" x 9.2"

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!