Uncovering the ingenuity of ancient builders with modern technology

Historians have long assumed that Roman architects adhered strictly to the design principles of Vitruvius's ancient texts—but it turns out that this isn’t the case. Professor Wladek Fuchs, Executive Director of the Volterra Detroit Foundation, delves into this intriguing discovery, revealing how the digital preservation of Volterra’s archaeological sites has unveiled new insights into Roman design methodologies. Fuchs explains that through advanced 3D scanning techniques, his team created a precise digital copy of the ancient Roman theatre in Volterra. His analysis showed that many Roman theatres were designed using various regular polygons rather than the ideal 12-sided figure described by Vitruvius. This discovery extends to other iconic structures like the Pantheon and the Colosseum, where Roman architects employed sophisticated geometric and mathematical techniques, reflecting a practical and innovative approach to architecture. Fuchs’s research underscores the importance of re-evaluating historical texts and leveraging modern technology to uncover the true ingenuity of ancient builders.

About the speaker

Wladek Fuchs is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Detroit Mercy. He holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from the Warsaw Institute of Technology in Poland. His present research interest is focused on the design methods in Roman architecture, studied through the analysis of the geometric and mathematic framework of the Roman structures.

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