Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did Roman architects use arches, vaults, and domes to create new kinds of buildings?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Great Court at the British Museum in London features a large central rotunda surrounded by wide steps and a glass and steel lattice roof, with visitors walking throughout the space. — Architecture The Great Court, designed by Foster and Partners, 2000; in the British Museum, London.

Roman architects revolutionized building design by mastering the use of concrete, which allowed them to create expansive, fluid interior spaces that were previously impossible with traditional stone construction.12

Arches and Vaults

The arch enabled builders to span wide openings using smaller, lighter materials. By extending the arch into three dimensions, they created the barrel vault. To overcome the limitations of barrel vaults—which required massive, continuous walls for support—Roman architects developed the groin vault by intersecting two barrel vaults at right angles. This innovation concentrated structural thrust at four corners, allowing for lighter walls and greater freedom in design, as seen in the Basilica of Maxentius.3451

Domes

The development of the dome followed the evolution of vaulting, enabling the creation of monumental, unobstructed interiors. The Pantheon stands as the pinnacle of this achievement, featuring a massive concrete dome that remained the largest of its kind for centuries. These techniques allowed Roman architects to move beyond the constraints of trabeated (post-and-lintel) stone architecture, defining the power and scale of the imperial state.162