HAGIA IRENE

NAME: Wong Zhen Fai

STUDENT ID: 0317890
ARCHITECTURE: Byzantine
Question 1
i. Who was the architect or founder of the building?
ii. What was the concept or philosophy of the architect or
founder that makes the building historically significant /
meaningful?

WHO WAS
THE
ARCHITECT
/FOUNDER
OF THE
BUILDING?

Designed by Byzantine architects

but identities were unspecified
due to poor documentation.
However, Hagia Irene was
commissioned by Constantine I, the
ruler of Roman/Byzantine Empire.

He moved the capital to Byzantine

and renamed it Constantinople.
Constantine I legalised Christianity
in the Roman Empire and also
converted to Christianity from
Roman Paganism.

The major conversion would lead to

the first Christian church to be built
in Byzantine: Hagia Irene.

CONSTANTINE I
Prior to Christianity being legalised,
Christian worship meetings were
discreet in domestic buildings. The
construction of Hagia Irene changed
a huge aspect of the Christian life in
Byzantine.

CONSTANTINE I

WHO WAS
THE
ARCHITECT
/FOUNDER
OF THE
BUILDING?

Justinian Iby
Designed
also
Byzantine
had a role
architects
to play
butforming
in
identities
Hagia
wereIrene
unspecified
as it is
due to poor documentation.
today.

During the Nika riots in 532,

Hagia Irene was burnt down
along with one-third of the city.
To please the citizens, Justinian I
had the Hagia Irene repaired and
also had other new churches
built.

JUSTINIAN I

Constantine V also made

contributions to the Hagia Irene.
When the Hagia Irene was
damaged by the earthquake in
the 8th Century, Constantine V
restored the church and added
iconoclastic art in the interior.

CONSTANTINE V

NIKA RIOTS

Interior decorations were a

significant element in Byzantine
architecture.

INTERIOR
OF HAGIA
IRENE

WHAT WAS THE

CONCEPT OF
THE ARCHITECT
OR FOUNDER
THAT MAKES
THE BUILDING
HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT?

The main concept of the Hagia

Irene is the Greek Cross plan
with a square central mass with
four arms of equal length. The
dome was placed on top of the
centre of the structure.
GREEK CROSS PLAN

PLAN OF HAGIA
IRENE

EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER
GREEK CROSS PLAN

WHAT WAS THE

CONCEPT OF
THE ARCHITECT
OR FOUNDER
THAT MAKES
THE BUILDING
HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT?

This type of plan worked

because the congregation
was not seated. People were
free to stand around on all
sides at their own
convenience.

CENTRAL
CONGREGATION

The concept of this centralized

plan emerged after the
population declined and there
was instability in culture caused
by the chaos of the early
Iconoclastic period.
Because of this, Christian
services became smaller and
intimate.

WHAT WAS THE

CONCEPT OF
THE ARCHITECT
OR FOUNDER
THAT MAKES
THE BUILDING
HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT?

The next main concept that was

introduced was the great
iconoclastic cross.

This action is meant to create a

space of peace and inspiration to
the worshiper and as windows to
the spiritual world.

Interior decoration is prioritized

in Byzantine architecture with
the purpose of sculpting out a
holy space where the
congregation would be
confronted with the true nature
of the Universe, cleared from
other distractions.

GREAT ICONOCLASTIC CROSS

WHAT WAS THE

CONCEPT OF
THE ARCHITECT
OR FOUNDER
THAT MAKES
THE BUILDING
HISTORICALLY
SIGNIFICANT?

However, Constantine V was a

firm believer of iconoclasm
which was the belief in not using
figurative images to portray a
religion.
Therefore, Constantine V
decorated the apse of the church
with a plain great cross in
contrast to the usually used
decorative mosaics in other
churches.
ICONOCLASTIC
PERIOD CHAOS

DECORATIVE MOSAIC ON
APSE IN OTHER CHURCH

REFERENCES
1) http://constantinople.ehw.gr/Forms/fLemmaBo
dy.aspx?lemmaid=10895
2) http://www.buffaloah.com/a/archsty/byz/
3) http://www.istanbultrails.com/2008/08/thehaghia-eirene-church-of-divine-peace/
4) http://www.istanbulistanbul.net/churches/hagiaeirene.htm
5) http://www.sacreddestinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-eirene