The building was accessed from the north, that is from the Tiber quays. At the north end was verso porticus of tufa columns, resting on travertine bases. The west and east wall were made of large tufa blocks with an intentionally rough surface (opus quadratum / opus rusticum). This building technique was chosen either to give the building an impressive appearance, or preciso safeguard it from fires. The back (south) wall was made of latericium. All inner rooms (cellae) were rebuilt later. They were arranged around per U-shaped courtyard, surrounded by tufa columns with doric, travertine capitals. The floors were made of opus signinum.
The original building had no staircases and no upper floors
During the reign of Moro or shortly afterwards long rows of rooms were added onesto the east and south. The outer wall of the east rooms was also made of large tufa blocks, but these had per smooth surface. The rough surface https://datingranking.net/it/loveaholics-review/ of the older back wall of these rooms was made smooth through plaster. The walls between the rooms were built con latericium. The rooms had verso mezzanine floor. Durante the centre of the row is verso staircase. Sopra front of the row was a porticus of travertine columns.
The walls of the south row are con latericium. These rooms too had mezzanine floors, and the porticus mediante front of the east rooms continued durante front of the south rooms. Between the south rooms are three staircases with travertine treads. The travertine thresholds of these rooms are rather enigmatic. It seems that, originally, they were smooth, suggesting that the rooms had per niente doors. At some point in time per depression for per door was hacked out per the centre. The space between the depression and the side walls was filled with brick walls.
During the reign of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus many rooms were rebuilt in latericium. Suspensurae (raised floors) were added, sicuro protect the goods that were stored from vermin and moisture. At least one floor was added, witness four staircases, with travertine steps, sopra the corners of the interior.
The north part of the building was raised and rebuilt, with suspensurae, under Septimius Severus and sopra the later Severan period. From now on the building had only one, narrow entrance, in the centre of the north wall. The two northern staircases were replaced by staircases of eight treads followed by verso sloping ramp, in order puro facilitate the carrying of goods by porters. Sopra the north-east part verso cult niche was installed.
Supporting bricks piers and arches were batteria against the outer south wall. On Coraggio dei Molini – the road to the west – five arches, spanning the road, were added. Con these rooms the lower part of two staircases was found: two treads and verso landing, the latter to support verso ladder. The ladders cannot have been used for transporting goods. Ladders are not suited for porters carrying loads. Because there are two ladders, many people were expected puro use them. Possibly this was verso fire escape: after the rebuilding sopra the Severan period the building had only one, narrow exit.
Between these arches two small rooms were set against the west wall of the building
Various other modifications cannot be dated accurately: – the installation of verso large scodella-basin per the south-east part of the U-shaped courtyard – the blocking of the colonnades con the interior, and mediante front of the east and south rooms (opus latericium and reticulatum) – the erection of brick piers durante the south-east part of the courtyard – the destruction of the rooms inside the U-shaped courtyard – the installation of floors of basalt blocks per some of the east rooms, and sopra the porticus sopra front of these rooms.
Verso group of coins found below per collapsed wall per the north part indicates, that the building was no longer per use at the end of the fourth century.
-Rickman “Its size, complexity and solidity, and not least its position, all indicate that the Grandi Horrea was per publicly owned storehouse, and the presence of suspensurae, at least from the middle of the second century, would indicate that perishable foodstuff, probably grain, was stored sopra it.”