dome
An approximately hemispherical structure of stone, *brick, hollow tubes, volcanic scoriae, or wood. A dome may sit directly upon a rotunda, but if it covers a polygonal space, transitional elements are necessary. If the polygonal space is defined by a pier at each corner, arches are built connecting adjacent piers, their crowns serving as the seat of the dome. The space between adjacent arches and the dome base is often filled with a triangular segment of a spherical surface (pendentive) to create a continuous circular footing for the dome. A dome may be shallow, continuing the curve of the pendentives (a ‘pendentive dome’ or ‘domical vault’), or steeper, having a radius smaller than that of the pendentives (a ‘dome on pendentives’). An alternative method for creating continuous support for the base of a dome over a polygonal space involved constructing squinches (lintels or arches) across the angles.... ...
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