The Architecture of the Dome

Interior of Binishell at Randwick Girls' High School

Throughout the course of history, the efforts of man to support the roofs of buildings have evolved through the simple post and beam to the arch, the vault, and then the dome. The dome is one of the most efficient structures ever developed, but also one of the most difficult and costly to build. The complex construction procedures required for this type of project have made the cost prohibitive on all but the most elaborate of building projects.

The dome was the first structure developed to give a clear span over large areas of floor space. Some of the significant examples throughout the course of history include:

• The Pantheon in Rome, built in the second century
• St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, built in the 11th century
• St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, built in the 16th century
• Century hall in Breslau, built in 1912
• Civic Auditorium in New Mexico, built in 1955
• The Stadium of Illinois University, built in 1973

In more recent years, the development of the Binishell process of pneumatically inflating concrete has made the construction of concrete domes possible with both speed and economy.

The process has been introduced into the N.S.W. school building programme with outstanding success. The concept has introduced a new dimension into the already diverse character of the range of architecture embodied in new educational buildings in the State.