Week 4: Early Christian and Byzantine Design

 


Weekly Summary


This week we looked into the early christian and byzantine periods, which are known for shifting art, architecture, and daily life. What caught my attention the most was the way that faith practices began in secret houses and churches because it was not technically legal. Eventually, christianity rose to dominate the Roman empire under Constantine. When Christianity was finally legalized in 313 C.E., it ended the persecution of Christians and also helped shape interiors, art, and culture. Early religious spaces in house churches were called domus ecclesiae. These spaces were small and intimate, designed for multipurpose use like prayer, teaching, and baptism. Since the space was so small, they usually had a place to dump water on a person's head instead of fully submerging them. Later under constantine, Old St. Peter's Basilica was created and became a model for future Christian churches. The Byzantine period helped elevate architecture with the design of Hagia Sophia. It is a very spiritual space, and it provides a massive dome to include light and make it feel more divine. Interiors were richly decorated with mosaics, ivory, and light.


Favorite Images from This Period








Old St. Peter’s Basilica (Rome)










Hagia Sophia (Constantinople)—The most iconic Byzantine church!















Catacombs of Rome—Sacred burial places that are covered in early Christian art
















Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (Ravenna)—Has some really cool mosaics


















Church of the Dormition (Daphni, Greece) - has bible telling mosaics



Current Applications








Lux Aeterna – Holy Cross Chapel (Lebanon) by LAAV Architects – Inspired by Byzantine sacred light and verticality










Modern mosaic installations in churches and public spaces












Circular skylights and domes similar to Hagia Sophia.



















Ivory-inspired inlays & decorative panels in furniture design today.



One Step Further: Anthemius of Tralles & Isidore of Miletus

Anthemius of Tralles and Isdore Miletus are the architects of Hagia Sophia. This is very interesting to me

because both were geometricians with very smart knowledge in mathematics. The design was extremely unique

considering the curved triangular vaults to support the massive "floating" dome on light.










Hagia Sophia exterior









Hagia Sophia dome interior









Hagia Sophia mosaics










Plans









View of light-filled nave


The work of these architects is still impressive and inspiring today. The use of light and space is very bold and predominant.


Closing Reflection

The early christian and byzantine eriods remind me that design is intended to be intentional and tied to beliefs.

I am inspired by the way secret home churches grew and became a large part of an empire that built architecture.

and interiors that still inspire others today, like Hagia Sophia. It really is a cultural and timeless transformation!





Comments

  1. Abigail FosterSeptember 20, 2025 at 8:54 AM

    I really like the interior of the catacombs that you chose to include in your post. It is so interesting how the picture bends to fit the shape of the walls and ceiling.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Professor VanderNoordaaSeptember 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM

    Allyssa,
    What a great post this week. I loved that you focused on the transformation of the Christian churches from home churches into the basilica and then the larger centrally planned churches. I find it interesting that we can worship today in a variety of buildings too. There is also a great movement to return to the home setting as a place of worship. I appreciate all of your images and the modern examples that were inspired by this period. Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles and the Hagia Sophia was a great subject to explore in more detail. 50/50 points

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ruth HernandezSeptember 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM

    Alyssa!! I enjoy so much reading your blog this weekend it was interesting all the stuff you put about Christian churches

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicol Valeria Torres VillamilSeptember 20, 2025 at 10:04 PM

    I really liked how you explained the transition from secret house churches to monumental spaces like Old St. Peter’s Basilica.

    ReplyDelete

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