Construction of the Baltimore Basilica

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Introduction
The construction of the Baltimore Basilica, the first cathedral for Roman Catholic signified the classical influences from the Ancient Greece and Rome’s architectural design practices in the United States. Baltimore Basilica construction began in 1806 and ended in 1821 and was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The building is a neoclassical-style that borrow ideas from Rome’s and Greek classical designs to conform to the Latin cross basilica plan (Durkin 5).
The design and construction of this building presents a symmetrical house with columns and pediments as well as windows that are correspondingly balanced on each door sides. The architecture of the building portrays the ability of 19th century architecture to formulate and refine functional concepts to accomplish neoclassical-style that replaced the traditional Gothic cathedrals.
Style and Architectural form
Some of the innovation style and architectural form of the cathedral includes the domed roofs and drum-like supporting walls. Baltimore Basilica has three rows of pillars supporting the cathedral’s triangular pediment. These pillars are six across the front and three pillars in two rows behind (Ostroff 28). Baltimore Basilica is also characterized of a triangular pediment sitting on 16 gigantic columns. The columns are 5 feet wide and 40 feet tall.
Picture 1 and 2 showing the exterior design of the Cathedral
Sources: http://americasfirstcathedral.org/
The Interior Design
The interior design of Baltimore Basilica features a massive dome surrounded by shallow, secondary domes that are saucer-like and saucer-like and a system of barrel vaults. The interior dome also features coffers that are sunken panels of 5 rings of 28. The coffers for the ceiling are aligned evenly in a layout which is complex to achieve and thus innovative applications pres...