Domes are in architectural terms particularly demanding structures. A dome may be defined as a self-supporting structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere; this definition excludes structures such as The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome) in London which is 365 m (1,198 ft) in diameter and supported by masts.
In the following, domes are classified according to three different categories. The defining criteron is in each case the inner diameter of the largest circular cross-section of the dome.
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Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome in the world.
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250 BC– 1st c. BC |
14.5 m [1] | Treasury of Atreus | Mycenae, Greece | City state of Mycenae | Corbel dome |
| 1st c. BC– 19 BC |
21.5 m [2] | Temple of Mercury | Baiae, Italy | Roman Empire | First monumental dome[3] |
| 19 BC– beginning of 2nd. c. |
25.0 m [4] | Baths of Agrippa, 'Arco della Ciambella' |
Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | First Thermae in Rome with a domed central building[4] |
| Beginning of 2nd. c.– 128 |
30.0 m [5] | Baths of Trajan | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Half dome |
| 128–1881 | 43.4 m [2] | Pantheon | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7] |
| 1881–1902 | 46.9 m [8] | Devonshire Royal Hospital | Buxton, UK | Cotton Famine Relief Fund | Converted from a horse stables to a hospital. Slate covered iron frame. Architect Robert Rippon Duke |
| 1902–1913 | 59.45 m [9] | West Baden Springs Hotel | West Baden, Indiana, USA | Lee Wiley Sinclair | Steel and glass dome. Architect Harrison Albright |
| 1913–1930 | 65.0 m [10] | Centennial Hall | Breslau, Poland | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg |
| 1930–1955 | 65.8 m [11] | Leipzig Market Hall | Leipzig, Germany | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger |
| 1955–1957 | 101.5 m [12] | Bojangles' Coliseum | Charlotte, North Carolina, USA | Thompson and Street | Structural Steel dome. Architect Odell and Associates |
| 1957–1965 | 109 m [13] | Belgrade Fair - Hall 1 | Belgrade, Serbia | Belgrade Fair | World's largest prestressed concrete dome |
| 1965–1975 | 195,5 m (642 ft) [14][15] |
Reliant Astrodome | Houston, Texas, USA | H.A. Lott, Inc. | First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15] |
| 1975–1992 | 207 m (678 ft) [15] |
Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans, USA | ? | Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis |
| 1992–2001 | 256.0 m [17] | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Georgia World Congress Center Authority | Tensegrity structure |
| 2001–present | 274 m [18] | Ōita Stadium | Ōita, Japan | Kisho Kurokawa | Retractable roof |
Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome on their continent.
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250 BC– 1st c. BC |
14.5 m [1] | Treasury of Atreus | Mycenae, Greece | City state of Mycenae | Corbel dome |
| 1st c. BC– 19 BC |
21.5 m [2] | Temple of Mercury | Baiae, Italy | Roman Empire | First monumental dome[3] |
| 19 BC– beginning of 2nd. c. |
25.0 m [4] | Baths of Agrippa, 'Arco della Ciambella' |
Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | First Thermae in Rome with a domed central building[4] |
| Beginning of 2nd. c.– 128 |
30.0 m [5] | Baths of Trajan | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Half dome |
| 563 - present | 31.87 m [19] | Hagia Sophia | Istanbul, Turkey | Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire | First pendentive dome in history. First completed in 537, rebuilt in 563 after earthquake. Architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus |
| 128–1881 | 43.4 m [2] | Pantheon | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7] |
| 1881–1913 | 46.9 m [8] | The Devonshire | Buxton, UK | Cotton Famine Relief Fund | Converted from a horse stables to a hospital. Slate covered iron frame. Architect Robert Rippon Duke |
| 1913–1930 | 65.0 m [10] | Centennial Hall | Breslau, Poland | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg |
| 1930–1957 | 65.8 m [11] | Leipzig Market Hall | Leipzig, Germany | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger |
| 1957–present | 109 m [13] | Belgrade Fair - Hall 1 | Belgrade, Serbia | Belgrade Fair | World's largest prestressed concrete dome |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864–1902 | 29.0 m [20] | Capitol | Washington D.C., USA | USA | Architect Thomas U. Walter |
| 1902–1955 | 61.0 m [9] | West Baden Springs Hotel | West Baden, Indiana, USA | Lee Wiley Sinclair | Architect Harrison Albright |
| 1955–1963 | 101.5 m [21] | Bojangles' Coliseum | Charlotte, North Carolina, USA | Thompson and Street | Structural Steel dome. Architect Odell and Associates |
| 1963–1965 | 121.9 m [22] | Assembly Hall | Champaign, Illinois, United States | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Abramovitz |
| 1965–1975 | 195,5 m (642 ft) [14][15] |
Reliant Astrodome | Houston, Texas, USA | H.A. Lott, Inc. | First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15] |
| 1975–1992 | 207 m (678 ft) [15] |
Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans, USA | ? | Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis |
| 1992–present | 256.0 m [17] | Georgia Dome | Atlanta, Georgia, USA | Georgia World Congress Center Authority | Tensegrity structure |
| 1991–present | 41.0 m [23] | Superior Dome | Marquette, Michigan, USA | Northern Michigan University | Largest Wooden Dome |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd c.–150 | 11.5 m [24] | Red Hall | Pergamon, Turkey | Roman Empire | Brick |
| 150–1312 | 23.85 m [25] | Zeus Asklepios Temple | Pergamon, Turkey | Roman Empire | Earliest monumental brick dome[26] |
| 1312–1659 | 25.60 m | Soltaniyeh | Soltaniyeh, Zanjan, Iran | Ilkhanate | |
| 1659–1937 | 37 m [27] | Gol Gumbaz | Bijapur, India | Sultanate of Bijapur | Mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah II (1627-57) of the Sultanate of Bijapur |
| 1937 - 1960 | 45 m [28] | Phsar Thom Thmei | Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Jean Desbois | Known as the "Central Market" in English |
| 1960–2001 | 108 m | Araneta Coliseum | Quezon City, Philippines | J. Amado Araneta | Also known as the Big Dome, it opened as the world's biggest indoor venue in 1960. |
| 2001–present | 274 m | Ōita Stadium | Ōita, Japan | Kisho Kurokawa | World's largest dome, known as the Big Eye |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd c.–1988 | 22.00 [29] | Baths of Antoninus | Carthage, Tunisia | Roman Empire | Seven domes with diameters between 17 and 22 m[29] |
| 1988–1997 | ? | Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro | Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast | Ivory Coast | Modeled after the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome |
| 1997–present | 140.0 m [30] | Coca-Cola Dome | Johannesburg, South Africa | Sports arena |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-2000 | 133 m | Burswood Superdome | Perth, Western Australia | ||
| 2000-present | 198 m | Docklands Stadium | Melbourne, Victoria |
Below is a list of buildings that have held the title of the largest dome in terms of their structure.
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1250 BC–150/175 AD | 14.5 m [1] | Treasury of Atreus | Mycenae, Greece | City state of Mycenae | Corbel dome |
| 150/175 AD–2006 AD | 15.0 m [31] | Western Thermae | Gerasa, Jordan | Roman Empire | One of the earliest voussoir domes with square ground plan[31] |
| 2006 AD-present | 85.15 m [32] | Global Vipassana Pagoda | Mumbai, India. | Global Vipassana Foundation | The stone dome was completed in October 2006. The monument was officially inaugurated on February 8, 2009. |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st c. BC– 1st c. BC |
6.52 m [3] | Stabiae Thermae, Laconicum |
Pompeii, Italy | Roman Empire | Cone vault (early form of a dome). Oldest known concrete dome[3] |
| 1st c. BC– 19 BC |
21.5 m [2] | Temple of Mercury | Baiae, Italy | Roman Empire | First monumental dome[3] |
| 128–present | 43.4 m [2] | Pantheon | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Largest unreinforced solid concrete dome in the world till present.[6] Archetype of Western dome construction to this day[2][7] |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd c.–150 | 11.5 m [24] | Red Hall | Pergamon, Turkey | Roman Empire | Brick |
| 150–beginning of 4th c. | 23.85 m [25] | Zeus Asklepios Temple | Pergamon, Turkey | Roman Empire | Earliest monumental brick dome[26] |
| Beginning of 4th c.–563 | 24.15 m [26] | Rotunda of St. George | Thessaloniki, Greece | Roman Empire | Radially laid bricks[26] |
| 563–present | 31.5 m | Hagia Sophia | Istanbul, Turkey | Byzantine Empire | First pendentive dome in history. First completed in 537, rebuilt in 563 after earthquake. Architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus |
| 1436–present | 42-45 m [33] | The Duomo | Florence, Italy | City state of Florence | First double-dome structure of the Renaissance |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning of 3rd. c.–216 | 12.0 m [29] | Thermae of Aquae Flavianae | El Hammam, Algeria | Roman Empire | Earthenware pipes put together |
| 216–present | 35.08 m [34] | Baths of Caracalla, Caldarium |
Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | Amphora put together |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 691–1781 | 20.40 m [20] | Dome of the Rock | Jerusalem, Palestine | Umayyad Empire | World First Mosque |
| 1781–1957 | 36.0 m [35][36] | St. Blaise's Abbey | St. Blaise, Germany | Pierre Michel d'Ixnard | Third widest dome in Europe at the time of its construction[35] |
| 1957–1977 | 91.4 m [37] | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse | Bozeman, Montana, USA | Montana State University - Bozeman | Second largest dome in USA at the time of its construction[37] |
| 1977–1983 | 153.0 m | Walkup Skydome | Flagstaff, Arizona, USA | Northern Arizona University | Geodesic dome |
| 1983–1991 | 161.5 m | Tacoma Dome | Tacoma, Washington, USA | City of Tacoma, WA | Geodesic dome |
| 1991–present | 163.4 m | Superior Dome | Marquette, Michigan, USA | State of Michigan/Northern Michigan University | Geodesic dome |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1864–1881 | 29.0 m [20] | United States Capitol dome | Washington D.C., USA | USA | Architect Thomas U. Walter |
| 1881–present | 46.9 m [8] | Devonshire Royal Hospital | Buxton, UK | Cotton Famine Relief Fund | Converted from a horse stables to a hospital. Slate covered iron frame. Architect Robert Rippon Duke |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1902–1965 | 59.45 m [9] | West Baden Springs Hotel | West Baden, Indiana, USA | Lee Wiley Sinclair | Steel and glass dome. Architect Harrison Albright |
| 1965–1975 | 195,5 m (642 ft) [14][15] |
Reliant Astrodome | Houston, Texas, USA | H.A. Lott, Inc. | First domed sports stadium in the world with more than 20,000 seats[15] |
| 1975–present | 207 m (678 ft) [15] |
Louisiana Superdome | New Orleans, USA | ? | Structural steel frame.[16] Architect Nathaniel Curtis |
| Held record | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913–1930 | 65.0 m [10] | Centennial Hall | Breslau, Poland | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Berg |
| 1930–1960 | 65.8 m [11] | Leipzig Market Hall | Leipzig, Germany | Deutsches Reich | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Franz Dischinger |
| 1960–1963 | 100.6 m [22] | Palazzo dello Sport | Rome, Italy | 1960 Summer Olympics | Reinforced concrete dome. Arch./Engr. Pier Luigi Nervi |
| 1963–1971 | 121.9 m [22] | Assembly Hall | Champaign, Illinois, United States | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Max Abramovitz |
| 1971-1976 | 134.1 m [22] | Norfolk Scope | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | City of Norfolk | Reinforced concrete dome. Arch./Engr. Pier Luigi Nervi |
| 1976–2000 | 201.0 m [22][38] | Kingdome | Seattle, Washington, United States | King County, Washington | Reinforced concrete dome. Architect Naramore, Skilling and Praeger. Demolished in 2000 |
| 2000-present | 134.1 m [22] | Norfolk Scope | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | City of Norfolk | Reinforced concrete dome. Arch./Engr. Pier Luigi Nervi |
Below is a list of large domes which are considered particularly important for various reasons.
| Completed | Diameter | Name | Location | Builder | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ca. 64 | 13.48 m [3] | Domus Aurea | Rome, Italy | Roman Empire | First dome with a polygonal ground plan (octagon). First in palace architecture[3] |
| 563 | 31.87 m [19] | Hagia Sophia | Istanbul, Turkey | Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire | First pendentive dome in history. First completed in 537, rebuilt in 563 after earthquake. Architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus |
| 1227 | 21.0 m long 16.9 m wide [39] |
St. Gereon's Basilica | Cologne, Germany | Bishop or city? | Oval shape. Largest occidental dome built between Hagia Sophia and the Duomo |
| 1405 | 18.2 m | Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi | Türkistan, Kazakhstan | Tamerlane | Double dome |
| 1436 | 42-45 m [40] | The Duomo | Florence, Italy | City state of Florence | First double-dome structure of the Renaissance, set the standards for all renaissance and baroque domes; to this day the largest brick and mortar dome ever built. |
| 1557 | 27.2 m | Süleymaniye Mosque | Istanbul, Turkey | Ottoman Empire | Architect Mimar Sinan |
| 1575 | 31.25 m [41] | Selimiye Mosque | Edirne, Turkey | Ottoman Empire | Architect Mimar Sinan |
| 1626 | 42.3m [3] | St Peter's Basilica | Rome, Italy | Michael Angelo And Holy See | Worlds Tallest And Two Layer Dome |
| 1641 | 17.7 m [42] | Taj Mahal | Agra, India | Mughal Empire | |
| 1710 | 30.8 m [43] | St. Paul's Cathedral | London, England | Christopher Wren | Double dome. The two domes are separated by a cone over the top of the inner which helps support the outer |
| 1781 | 36.0 m [35][36] | St. Blaise's Abbey | St. Blaise, Germany | Pierre Michel d'Ixnard | Third widest dome in Europe at the time of its construction[35] |
| 1871 | 45.0 m [44] | Mosta Dome | Mosta, Malta | George Grongnet de Vassé | Third largest unsupported dome in the world |
| 1894 | 31.0 m [45] | Marble Church | Copenhagen, Denmark | Frederick V | Built from 1749 to 1894 by three different architects, with no construction done from 1770 to 1877 |
| 1904 | 15.24 m | Rhode Island State House | Providence, Rhode Island | Fourth-largest unsupported marble dome in the world.[46][47] | |
| 1944 | 61.0 m [48][49] | V-2 Bunker La Coupole | Wizernes, France | Nazi Germany | Reinforced concrete dome, 5m thick |
| 1960 | 108 m | Araneta Coliseum | Quezon City, Philippines | J. Amado Araneta | Also known as the Big Dome, it opened as the world's biggest indoor venue in 1960. |
| 1965 | 710 feet (216.4 m) | Reliant Astrodome | Houston, Texas, USA | Hermon Lloyd & W.B. Morgan, and Wislon, Morris, Crain and Anderson | Also known as the Astrodome, seated 62,439 football fans. Billed as "the Eighth Wonder of the World". |
| 1988 | 51.8m | Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque | Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia | Biggest mosque in Malaysia, second biggest in South East Asia. Also known as Blue Mosque. Can accommodate up to 16,000 workshippers | |
| 2009 | ? | Medgidia Clincher Storage Facility | Medgidia, Romania | World's largest clincher storage facility |
<ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Superior_Dome; see Help:Cite error.
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