A large dome with a large skylight allows a beam of light to enter the hall, though there are no windows, and the beam changes position throughout the day.
The Pantheon, derived from Greek, means "temple of the gods." Located in the heart of Rome, Italy, it is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings. Converted to Catholicism in 609 AD and named the "Church of Our Lady and the Martyrs," it escaped large-scale demolition during the Middle Ages.
Built around 27 BC by Agrippa to worship the Roman gods, the original building was destroyed by fire twice. The existing structure was mainly built between 118 and 128 AD, primarily during Hadrian's reign. The portico retains the Latin inscriptions from Agrippa's founding, but the building itself is not the original from 27 BC.
The most famous features are the circular space and the dome's apex. The front features a Corinthian portico, while the rear houses the massive circular nave. The dome is approximately 43.3 meters in diameter, and the height from the ground to the apex is also 43.3 meters, making the interior space nearly a perfect sphere. The opening, approximately 8.9 meters in diameter, known as the "Eye of the Dome," is the only source of light and strengthens the connection between the building and the sky. The walls are about 6 meters thick, and the dome is constructed of concrete, brick, and lightweight aggregate, thinning towards the top to reduce weight.
The Pantheon masterfully combined grand scale, geometric order, and engineering technology, later influencing St. Peter's Basilica, the U.S. Capitol, and numerous Neoclassical buildings. It also transformed from a pagan temple into a church and a national monument in Italy, where Raphael and several Italian kings are buried.