Functionalism and Caprice in Stonecutting. The Case of the Nativity Chapel in Burgos Cathedral

Starting from the inaugural text of Philibert de L'Orme, stereotomic treatises and manuscripts are subject to the opposing forces of reason and fancy. The Nativity Chapel in Burgos Cathedral provides an outstanding case study on this subject. It was built in 1571-1582 by Martín de Bérriz and Martín de la Haya, using an oval vault resting on trumpet squinches to span a rectangular bay. Bed joints and rib axes are not planar curves, as usual in oval vaults. This warping is not capricious; we shall argue that it is the outcome of a systematic tracing method. As a result of this process, the slope of the bed joints increases slightly in the first courses, but stays fairly constant after the third course; this solution prevents the upper courses from slipping. Thus, in the Nativity Chapel of Burgos Cathedral, the constraints of masonry construction fostered a singular solution verging on capriccio. It is also worthwhile to remark that the warping of the joints is not easily appreciable to the eye and that the tracing process does not seem to start from a previous conception of the resulting form. All this suggests that we should be quite careful when talking about the whimsical character of Late Gothic and Early Renaissance; in some occasions, apparent caprice is the offspring of practical thinking.

Polypropylene fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete for the reconstruction of the cathedral of La Laguna, Canary Island, Spain

High performance materials are needed for the reconstruction of such a singular building as a cathedral, since in addition to special mechanical properties, high self compact ability, high durability and high surface quality, are specified. Because of the project’s specifications, the use of polypropylene fiber-reinforced, self-compacting concrete was selected by the engineering office. The low quality of local materials and the lack of experience in applying macro polypropylene fiber for structural reinforcement with these components materials required the development of a pretesting program. To optimize the mix design, performance was evaluated following technical, economical and constructability criteria. Since the addition of fibers reduces concrete self-compactability, many trials were run to determine the optimal mix proportions. The variables introduced were paste volume; the aggregate skeleton of two or three fractions plus limestone filler; fiber type and dosage. Two mix designs were selected from the preliminary results. The first one was used as reference for self-compactability and mechanical properties. The second one was an optimized mix with a reduction in cement content of 20 kg/m3and fiber dosage of 1 kg/m3. For these mix designs, extended testing was carried out to measure the compression and flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, toughness, and water permeability resistance

The Ciborium or Lantern Tower of Valencia Cathedral: Geometry, Construction and Stability

Early 18th century treatise writer Tomas Vicente Tosca1 includes in his Tratado de la montea y cortes de Canteria [On Masonry Design and Stone Cutting], what is an important documentary source about the lantern of Valencia Cathedral. Tosca writes about this lantern as an example of vaulting over cross arches without the need of buttresses. A geometrical description is followed by an explanation of the structural behavior which manifests his deep understanding of the mechanics of masonry structures. He tries to demonstrate the absence of buttresses supporting his thesis on the appropriate distribution of loads which will reduce the "empujos" [horizontal thrusts] to the point of not requiring more than the thickness of the walls to stand (Tosca [1727] 1992, 227-230). The present article2 assesses T osca' s appreciation studying how loads and the thrusts they generate are transmitted through the different masonry elements that constitute this ciborium. In order to do so, we first present a geometrical analysis and make considerations regarding its materials and construction methods to, subsequently, analyze its stability adopting an equilibrium approach within the theoretical framework of the lower bound limit analysis.

The Ciborium or Lantern Tower of Valencia Cathedral: Geometry, Construction and Stability

Early 18th century treatise writer Tomas Vicente Tosca1 includes in his Tratado de la montea y cortes de Canteria [On Masonry Design and Stone Cutting], what is an important documentary source about the lantern of Valencia Cathedral. Tosca writes about this lantern as an example of vaulting over cross arches without the need of buttresses. A geometrical description is followed by an explanation of the structural behavior which manifests his deep understanding of the mechanics of masonry structures. He tries to demonstrate the absence of buttresses supporting his thesis on the appropriate distribution of loads which will reduce the "empujos" [horizontal thrusts] to the point of not requiring more than the thickness of the walls to stand (Tosca [1727] 1992, 227-230). The present article2 assesses T osca' s appreciation studying how loads and the thrusts they generate are transmitted through the different masonry elements that constitute this ciborium. In order to do so, we first present a geometrical analysis and make considerations regarding its materials and construction methods to, subsequently, analyze its stability adopting an equilibrium approach within the theoretical framework of the lower bound limit analysis.

The Irregular Ribbed Vault of the Sacristy of the Cathedral of Saint-Jean Baptiste in Perpignan

The vault of the sacristy of the Cathedral of Saint-Jean Baptiste in Perpignan (France), constructed by the Majorcan architect Guillem Sagrera between 1433 and 1447, is an outstanding, yet strikingly unknown, example of rib vaulting. This paper analyzes the overall construction of the form of the vault, characterized by its highly irregular perimeter, with particular attention to an isolated decorated corbel which solves the problem of the wall support of a group of six ribs and is in stark contrast with the rest of the supports, which are completely unadorned. Given the extreme rigour of Sagrera in all his works (and this one in particular), this apparent “capriccio” must be justified not only by decorative or formal requirements, but also by the constructive logic of Gothic vaulting system

A landscape architectural design approach:the restoration of the Angel Tower and the Cloister of the Cathedral of Cuenca.

Este artículo trata de analizar la reciente evolución de los conceptos sobre intervención en el Patrimonio Cultural. Para ello utiliza como modelo el proyecto metodológico aplicado sobre las dos últimas actuaciones efectuadas en la Catedral de Cuenca. La Carta de Atenas, 1931, que estableció las bases de la modernidad sobre las dos trayectorias de espacio y tiempo, concuerdan hoy después de casi un siglo, recuperando su punto de encuentro. El artículo básicamente valora el potencial que los proyectos contemporáneos de intervención en el patrimonio pueden ofrecer cuando estudias su trayectoria en el paisaje. En orden a certificar sus transformaciones desde la actualidad, el singular monumento de la Catedral de Cuenca, utilizado como modelo, nos aporta a través de sus materiales y morfología la memoria secular que nos informa de sus técnicas constructivas y valores sociales. Este modelo abre un diálogo entre teoría y práctica reflejado a través de los trabajos de restauración aplicados. Después de treinta años de experiencia restauradora llevada a cabo por los autores, las dos últimas intervenciones que son minuciosamente expuestas, revelan algunas nuevas estrategias de aplicación en el proyecto de intervención.

Cathedral Square

Collaborator: Modesto Sánchez Morales