Dome Building

Brick ovens can be built with vaulted ceilings or as domes. The advantage of domed brick ovens is the self-supporting nature of the shape. Each brick bears on bricks below in an evenly distributed way. During the firing, the dome expands equally and then returns to its original size (not drastically).
The dome shape also reflects the heat evenly to all parts of the oven.
Vaulted ovens, while easier to build, need an outer structure to support the 'sprung arch'. They tend to have 'cold' corners.
Because the differences are relatively minor, there may be instances where a arched oven fits the needs and space better than a dome.