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Ancient Stone Construction Challenges and Solutions

By Scott Conwell FAIA, FCSI, CDT, LEED AP

Temple of Trajan — Photo by Scott Conwell

Columns at Temple of Trajan — Photo by Scott Conwell

Column at Temple of Trajan — Photo by Scott Conwell

Drawing of Temple of Trajan — Photo courtesy of Scott Conwell

Scott Conwell at Temple of Trajan — Photo by Scott Conwell

There is no such thing as the perfect project. Not today, and not in the second century A.D. Take a look at this row of marble columns at the Temple of Trajan, or Trajaneum, in the ancient city of Pergamum in modern day Turkey, that were fabricated too short. On my recent visit to the site, which was a stop on our architectural stone study tour, I noticed an oddly placed joint about 2 feet high at each of the columns along the Trajaneum's east hall.

Construction of the temple began under the Roman Emperor Trajan (97-117 AD) and was completed under his successor Hadrian (117-138 AD). The temple served to honor the two Emperors and Zeus. The structure sits on a marble-covered podium and comprises a freestanding main temple surrounded on three sides by halls with monolithic columns, partially fluted, with Corinthian capitals. The two side halls were added after the north hall behind the temple. It is the columns of the east side hall that are in question. The on-site signage offered this explanation:

“The shaft lengths of the columns are identical, but the monoliths were placed on short shaft parts with integrated column bases. There is good reason to assume that the measurements of the columns of the north hall had been kept when orders were made from the quarry – and that when erecting them it was realized that they looked too low. In order to still use the delivered shafts, the above-mentioned bases were used. The bed joint, which was of an unfavorable height, was covered with statue bases facing the temple.”

As much as we prioritize communication and coordination in construction today, I suppose errors, oversights and on-the-fly field changes are as old as architecture itself. We are lucky to have surviving stone structures like Trajaneum that speak not only to the beauty and durability of stone, but also to design challenges and solutions.

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Scott Conwell is a registered architect and director of industry development with International Masonry Institute. A leader in the tile and stone industry, Conwell is a delegate to the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation committee, and he sits on the ANSI committee for tile standards. In his 30 years with IMI, he has presented over 1,400 seminars to architects, designers, contractors, and students all over the world. He is Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the Construction Specifications Institute, and a recipient of the Carl V. Cesery Award for Outstanding Service to the tile industry. He has contributed to Stone World and TILE magazine, as well as other industry journals. With over 25,000 followers on LinkedIn, over a million post engagements per year, and new posts every week, Conwell is an influencer among design and construction professionals in the realm of social media.