Oculus (architecture)

An oculus (from

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 8.7 m (29 feet), allowing it to light the building.

Byzantine

The oculus was widely used in the architecture of the

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.^[4]

Neoclassical

Since the revival of dome construction beginning in the

• 
  The

  Pantheon, Rome

  , Italy
• 
  Islamic oculus opening into a cupola in the Hasht Behesht, Isfahan, Iran
• 
  Romanesque oculus of the Église Sainte-Anne de Gassicourt [fr], Mantes-la-Jolie, France
• 
  Gothic oculus in the Laon Cathedral, Laon, France
• 
  Renaissance oculus of the Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy
• 
  Baroque oculus in a dome of the Ravenna Cathedral, Ravenna, Italy
• 
  Rococo oculus in the Parc de Bagatelle (Paris)
• 
  Versailles, France), with a festoon

  -derived ornament at the top
• 
  Hannover, Germany
• 
  19th century Eclectic Classicist oculus of the Opéra-Théâtre de Clermont-Ferrand [fr], Clermont-Ferrand, France
• 
  Beaux-Arts dormer oculus of the Building of Préfecture de Police de Paris, Île de la Cité
• 
  Art Nouveau oculus of the Hôtel Élysée Palace [fr], Paris
• 
  Art Deco oculus above a door in Angers, France

References