A Problem in Romanesque Aesthetics: The Articulation of Groin and Early Rib Vaults in the Larger Churches of England and Normandy

Hoey, Lawrence

doi:10.2307/767180

Cited by 2 publications

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“…Regarding the use of the key medieval component of ribs, the simplicity of the form does not need the aesthetics of muscular articulation that ribs conferred in earlier/ archaic barrel vaults [9]. Contemporary, more spatially developed examples like the presbytery in Melrose or the almost domical vaults of St. Giles treat ribs as an attached mesh and in Seton or Ladykirk they are used only at the apse, though like a construction element as the vaults' stone plates laid normal to the ribs show.…”

Section: Forms Of Scottish Barrel Vaults In the 15cmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Boundary Conditions on the Behaviour of Pointed Masonry Barrel Vaults: Late Gothic Cases in Scotland

Theodossopoulos

Makoond²,

Akl³

2016

TOBCTJ

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Barrel vaults provide effective fire-proof roofing in historic churches, castles, cloisters or halls that look for simple and utilitarian aesthetics, as long as they are strongly connected to sturdy lateral walls and transverse gables, conditions that limit their possibilities for spatial expression. A study of the effect of these conditions was carried out on the pointed vaults of a characteristic group of 15th century Scottish churches. Following earlier measured surveys that showed remarkable geometric integrity, 1/15-scale models of a representative form were made in reinforced plaster that could delay the cracks propagation enough to be monitored. Only the shell was considered, leaving the effect of ribs or diaphragms that hold the heavy flagstone roof for further study. The model was subject to symmetric and asymmetric horizontal spread, which simulated the insufficient containment of not very stiff walls, but included the effect of gable end walls. Cracks formed invariably at an early stage (3% of the span spread), propagating more rapidly and causing early failure at a symmetrical spread (15% of span), while the asymmetrical spread produced diagonal crack patterns across the vault at 33% of the span. Gables provided more stiff areas but eventually caused local detachment at the spread point, at only 5% of the span, with cracks propagating to the back wall and at a higher rate when a less stiff gable was included(13% of span). The results validated an FE model that provided further insight to the performance of the type at displacement and settlement, as exemplified in the case of Bothwell church in Scotland.

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Section: Forms Of Scottish Barrel Vaults In the 15cmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Boundary Conditions on the Behaviour of Pointed Masonry Barrel Vaults: Late Gothic Cases in Scotland

Theodossopoulos

Makoond²,

Akl³

2016

TOBCTJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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The Articulation of Rib Vaults in the Romanesque Parish Churches of England and Normandy

Hoey¹

1997

Antiq. J.

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Rib vaults appear in English architecture at the end of the eleventh century and by the early part of the next had spread throughout most parts of the country and across the Channel into Normandy. Rib construction was pioneered by the builders of great churches, first apparently at Durham, and was then developed and elaborated at sites such as Winchester, Gloucester, Peterborough, Lessay, Saint-Etienne in Caen, and many others. Although it is impossible to pinpoint the precise moment, by the second quarter of the twelfth century ribs were also being constructed in smaller churches in many areas of England and Normandy. Anglo-Norman parish church masons might construct ribs under towers or in porches, but the majority of survivals are in chancels, where the presence of ribs was clearly the result of a desire to distinguish and embellish the functionally most important and most sacred part of the church. 1 This article is an examination and comparison of the ways parish church masons in England and Normandy designed their rib vaults in the first two-thirds of the twelfth century. 2 Its thesis is simple: ribs engendered a great deal of creative formal thinking among parish church masons by providing them with an expressive and versatile architectural form the use of which could measurably enhance the spatial splendour of their patrons' chancels. The demonstration of this thesis is less simple, however, for it necessarily requires the detailed description, analysis and comparison of many ribvaulted chancels. Moreover, these descriptions are not meant merely as the means to the easily digestible end of generalization. Rather, they are the end -the appreciation of individual designs should be the necessary end of any discussion of architectural aesthetics. Nevertheless, in the interest of clarity and readability I have ordered my discussion around certain issues or questions that each mason had to face or answer when designing a rib-vaulted chancel. While such an approach risks doing violence to the integrity of individual designs, it makes clear the shared formal concerns of the masons building them and the impressive variety (or nuances) they achieved within what might seem, prima facie, a relatively restricted architectural format THE SPATIAL SETTING AND FUNCTIONAL RATIONALE FOR PARISH CHURCH RIB VAULTSTo reiterate: the vast majority of Romanesque rib vaults in English and Norman parish churches were constructed in chancels. These were almost always aisleless eastern arms of one or two bays. The number of bays was significant, as we shall see, for the possibilities available to the mason constructing a ribbed vault, but that number was no doubt determined by the patron for financial or functional reasons. Many of the rib

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A Problem in Romanesque Aesthetics: The Articulation of Groin and Early Rib Vaults in the Larger Churches of England and Normandy

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

The Effect of Boundary Conditions on the Behaviour of Pointed Masonry Barrel Vaults: Late Gothic Cases in Scotland

The Effect of Boundary Conditions on the Behaviour of Pointed Masonry Barrel Vaults: Late Gothic Cases in Scotland

The Articulation of Rib Vaults in the Romanesque Parish Churches of England and Normandy

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