University of Virginia, Rotunda (Charlottesville, VA) : North entrance, portico and dome (based on the Pantheon in Rome)

Creator:

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Published/Created:

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
1822-1826 ; 1895 (destruction); 1976 (restoration)

Physical Description:

77 x 77 ft (diameter)

Date Depicted:

4/1/1997
1800 AD - 1849 AD

Materials:

brick
wood

Notes:

The grounds of the new university were unique in that they surrounded a library housed in the Rotunda rather than a church, as was common at other universities in the English-speaking world. The Rotunda is seen as a lasting symbol of Jefferson's belief in the separation of church and education, as well as his lifelong dedication to both education and architecture. In 1976 during America's Bicentennial, the Rotunda was restored, at a cost of $2.4 million, to Jefferson's original design. (It had burnt down in 1895 and altered in the 1898 rebuilding). "Jefferson designed the Rotunda, basing it on the Pantheon in Rome with its proportions reduced by one half. This magnificent and domed building, with two tiers of windows behind the six-columned portico and pediment, faces the lawn, with a view of the distant mountains. Jefferson subtly emphasized the view by gradually increasing the spaces between the pavilions, thus falsifying the perspective and increasing the apparent length of the lawn. The interior of the Rotunda was designed with a ground floor for scientific experiments, the main first floor for lectures and the top floor for the library.

Variant Titles:

The Rotunda

Topics:

Architecture -- United States -- 19th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Neoclassical
Palladian

Culture:

American

Accession Number:

1A1-JT-UV-1-B2

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
universities (buildings)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

architectural exteriors construction building divisions; rooms and spaces; classrooms; buildings; schools (buildings); universities portico; pediment; dome

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Base Collection

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
4/1/1997

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2011; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4152

OID:

10088912

PID:

digcoll:1824426