Concept in Definition ABC

The term we are analyzing can be found in two different disciplines, geology and architecture. Regarding its etymology, it comes from the French word dome, which means dome or rounded roof, a word that in turn comes from the Greek doma, which means to build or house.

In geology

Certain reliefs have wavy or bulging shapes. This is due to the pressure of the rocks that, when exerting a force internally upwards, they originate a rounded rock formation.

There are several types of domes. Thus, some are formed from sediments that accumulate. Others are granite-like as a result of erosion.

In some places a concentration of salt is produced and due to this a saline dome is produced. In the ice caps there are so-called ice domes. On the surface of the moon it is also possible to find this type of rocky structure. In the craters of some volcanoes, lava flows are formed that end up having a rounded shape that covers the entire crater itself and when this occurs it is called a volcanic dome.

In architecture

The term dome is used in reference to the rounded shapes of the domes of some constructions. In this sense, dome-type houses offer a number of advantages: they are resistant to storms, they transmit a sensation large space optics on small surfaces and allow adequate regulation of the temperature.

Dome houses are also known as geodesic houses. Among the many examples of world architecture, we could highlight the following: The climatron integrated in the Botanical Garden of St. Louis in the state of Missouri or the Maloka Dome in Bogotá destined for screenings audiovisual. Geodesic domes are an original alternative to traditional right angles in architecture.

It should not be forgotten, on the other hand, that the Eskimos' snow houses, better known as igloos, are a ancient form of domestic domes (the usefulness of the igloo is based on the compressed snow that is used to its building, which produces an increase in the temperature inside).

These domed structures began to be built thousands of years ago as a system of storage. As time passed, the domes were raised in their dimension aesthetic and decorative for all kinds of proposals: museums, churches, train stations, structures for children's playtime, etc. The cement, the steel wave wood are some of the most used materials in domes.

Photos: Fotolia - Christian / Krzysztof Wiktor