Late Gothic vaults and their complex stone members

Presentation

The proof of concept aims to transfer the results of the scientific research on design procedures of Late Gothic vaults into the practice of restoration of the architectural heritage. These structures are extremely complex in their geometry, with stone ribs soaring along three-dimensional curves and intersecting on multiple levels at the keystones. In the current research, we achieved a deeper understanding about the principles of their geometric design, and about how the instructions for producing their single stone elements were formulated. However, at present this knowledge is not available in the restoration practice. Hence, in case of retrofit or the necessity of reproducing damaged stone elements, there is the risk of altering the peculiar geometric features and distorting the character of these unique masterpieces of historic architecture.

A practical implementation of the scientific results, with the potential of significantly improving the quality of maintenance and restoration, can be achieved by defining practical working procedures that reproduce the original design principles, by documenting these procedures and by creating a demonstrator. For the development of these proposed working procedures, their testing and their dissemination among apprentices and specialized stone-masons, a collaboration has been established with the Workshops or Fabrics of several major Cathedrals. These are the institutions engaged in the conservation of Late Mediaeval and Early Modern stone constructions and in keeping alive the historical technical knowledge of stone masonry.

In the collaboration and mutual exchange between the scientific team and stone masons who are specialized in historical stonework as well as in traditional methods of setting-out, it is possible to reconstruct in detail all the steps of the translation process from the geometric design of the entire vault to the drawing and carving of the single components. The shape of the original ribs and keystones is reproduced with absolute fidelity, taking in account the historical context in the development of applied geometry, and employing historical stone working technique.

The profound understanding of the graphical procedures in the design and of the information transfer from design to construction is a key to the interpretation of the breathtakingly complex stone structures which constitute some of the finest masterpieces in the History of Architecture.

Impacts & Results

Based on analyses of built objects, we investigate how Late Gothic vaults were designed and planned, how the information flow from design to construction was performed, and which geometric concepts and notions of structural mechanics determined their design and construction. This gives an insight into the organization and communication processes on the building sites, as well as to the information society and the principles of architectural design in the period of transition from late Middle Ages to Early Modern.

With a Proof of Concept Grant, on the basis of the research on the geometric design of the vaults, the historical procedures for the design of the single building elements are investigated, which enabled carving the stones with astonishing precision and assembling them accurately to complex structures. The aim is to recover historical technical knowledge, which constitutes an immaterial cultural heritage, and to make it accessible in the practice of restoration.

In the synthesis of basic and applied research, and drawing from the reciprocal knowledge transfer between the research group and recognized specialists in stone masonry, we are able put forward for discussion a comprehensive picture of the design of Late Gothic vaults, ranging from the general concept to the setting-out and production of the single stone members.