The Pantheon has held an empowering effect on the individual and humanity for nearly 2,000 years and stands as one of the most significant classical buildings in history. It was built by Emperor Hadrian in the second century and is located in the Piazza della Rotonda, a city square in the center of Rome.
The size of the interior space is awe-inspiring. Columns line the room with blind doorways and niches. A second story of blind windows seemingly connects to spaces beyond, giving a sense of being surrounded by buildings in a town piazza, rather than an interior space.
The enormous dome rises upward, creating an expansive space. A 27-foot wide opening, or oculus, in the ceiling allows rain and sunlight to fall through and land on the marble floor, reinforcing a connection to the outside and the atmosphere above.
As the earth revolves around the sun, the sun projects a shaft of light through the oculus, casting a circular shape that moves through the interior, acting as a kind of theatrical spotlight, which heightens our self-awareness that we are here on stage in the human world.
The immense space arouses a sense of connection and completeness. It was created as a temple of the gods and is open and welcoming to people of all faiths to be in the presence of the divine.
