Dome

architecture · engineering · shapes

Curved like a sphere. A dome is the hollow upper half of a sphere that sits on top of a building. Its curved shape makes it look amazing and helps distribute weight evenly in all directions.

Stronger than flat roofs. Domes are incredibly strong because their curved shape spreads weight outward and downward smoothly. This means a dome can cover a huge space without needing columns or walls in the middle.

Found everywhere. You can see domes on capitol buildings, churches, mosques, observatories, and even the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. They've been used for thousands of years because they're both practical and beautiful.

Many different styles. Domes come in many forms: some are perfect hemispheres (half-spheres), some are pointy and onion-shaped, and some are flatter or more oval. Architects choose different dome shapes depending on what they want the building to do and how it should look.

Cupola connection. A cupola is a small structure on top of a dome that often has windows or an opening. It can help light and air move through the building, or it can just be decorative.