Question

Why is the invention of arches and domes considered to to be huge step forward in the field of architecture?

Answer 1

We all know that homosepians when started there settlements use to build the houses from long grass bunches and tree branches. Slowly the learnt the art of making houses from stone blocks and to create openings they use longer stone beams as lintels. But these stone beans had limitations. When these were used as columns it worked well since the stone is very good in compressive strength, however, if they were to be used for larger openings either bigger sections were explored since stone is very week in tensile strength. Thus creating larger opening became a limitation. If you see all the old Heritage buildings without arches, the horizontal opening sizes are always small. In Islamic & Europian architecture you will always find extensive use of Arches & domes. These two elements helped the artisans to build larger openings or span larger spans to make bigger column free spaces. These two elements work on the principal of compression only but at the same time helped the civilisation to make larger openings or make larger hall like spaces by providing some roofs. The best example is Pentheon in Europe.