The focus of Justinian architecture had been the elevated central pavilion or dome. An architectural campaign had been set upon perfecting the formula for a domed centralized space. The plan of San Vitale consists of an octagonal domed core, vaulted and resting on eight piers and arches, then encircled by an ambulatory and a gallery. The longitudinal axis of he basilica is forsaken in San Vitale, to create a greater emphasis on heaven above. At first the plan seems unified and simplified, easily read.
All views are complex, angled, unmeasurable.
The load of support is unclear. From the interior, the viewer sees little support for the weight of the dome, making him unsure, perhaps God is holding up the structure. In fact, all of the buttressing is done from the exterior. While the exterior is plain brick and blocky, rather massive, the interior begins to break up, become mystified, spiritual. This is enhanced by the overlay of marble and mosaic on the walls, obscuring the mass of the walls.