A Hexagonal Pattern in the Paraninfo at the Universidad de Alcalá

Abstract

In the sixteenth century, the assembly hall, or Paraninfo, at the recently inaugurated Universidad de Alcalá was known as the pieça del theatro. This study focuses on the layouts and proportions designed for this hall, which could be the key to understanding the whole project as a Renaissance theater that was singularly inspired by Roman models. Specifically, the hexagonal pattern of the coffered ceiling represents a genuine formal exploration in comparison with other wooden ceilings having similar geometric bases. All this led us to study this uncommon masterpiece as a proposal for a new model toward an intellectual and architectural recovery of the Antiquity, in the core of the Universidad, conceived for the representation of academic ceremonies and humanistic theater.