Waterloo Architecture BCon & Enviro

11/22/2025

12/29/2024

In 1925, restoration works were undertaken to repair cracks in the Pantheon's dome in Rome. This ancient structure, originally built as a temple to all the gods of Rome, has stood since its completion in 126 AD. The dome, a marvel of Roman engineering, remains the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The 1925 restoration aimed to preserve its structural integrity, ensuring that this architectural masterpiece, with its oculus opening to the sky, continues to inspire and awe visitors.

Rome, known as the "eternal city", earned its name not only because of its monuments, streets, and historical grandeur but also due to its fissures. No other city has cared for its cracks with such fierce dedication, repaired them with such persistence, and watched over them with such tenderness. The Pantheon's cracks, repaired in 1925, are a testament to this dedication. These fissures tell the story of the building's journey through time, reflecting both wear and the life of the architecture. The Pantheon's cracks, like wrinkles, add beauty and depth to its history, ensuring its legacy endures.

Source: Prof. Giacomo Boni inspecting the Pantheon in Rome (?), in: LIFE MAGAZINE, USA (1925). & LUCA BELTRAMI, “THE PANTHEON” (1898) [PDF], pp. 1-75; & Paola Crucianelli, “THE PANTHEON” (2007) [PDF], pp. 1-43 [01|2015]

10/27/2024

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/27/us/vessel-hudson-yards-suicide-reopen?cid=ios_app

The massive honeycomb structure known as the Vessel in New York City’s Hudson Yards reopened Monday with newly installed safety netting more than three years after a spate of suicides led to its ignominious closure.

10/20/2024

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/stfoxnews.comate-of-the-art-fire-station-burns-down-because-it-had-no-fire-alarms/ar-AA1sqZKN

A multi-million euro fire station in western Germany has burned down, along with 10 fire engines on the site – because it did not have any fire alarms installed. The new fire station, in Stadtallendorf, was hailed by Oberhessische Presse, the town’s local newspaper, as a “modern, state-of-the-...