Medieval Architecture Research Articles

Gothic Locks: Pioneering Drawings for Hydraulic Works in 16th-Century Holland

Just as Gothic cathedrals have long dominated the perception of medieval architecture, the spectacular drawings of the German lodges have shaped our view of the medieval design process. However, their towering importance has diverted scholarly attention from alternative drafting practices and reinforced the view of a homogeneous Gothic design practice based on quadrature. Historians generally accept that in the 16th century a new Renaissance graphic language challenged and ultimately replaced the Gothic tradition north of the Alps. However, this antagonistic narrative of one dominant practice superseding the other needs to be re-examined because hitherto neglected drawings for other types of buildings reveal that medieval drafting practice was more varied and open to new developments than is often believed. This paper will examine three rare sets of architectural drawings, together consisting of over thirty sheets, made for three stone sluices in the provinces of Utrecht and Holland between 1556 and 1563. They show that for technically demanding hydraulic works, drawings directed every step of the process, from enabling discussion of the most suitable design to guiding the stonemasons in the execution of the work. Moreover, they demonstrate that for such projects, Gothic masters did not adhere to tradition but engaged with new design methods, using scale, colour, and multiple views to convey all aspects of the project, thus indicating that changes in style and method were not always interrelated.

Numerical harmonies in architectural education: Villard de Honnecourt’s grid

The analysis of the grid designed by Villard de Honnecourt and its role in medieval architecture offers an enriching perspective for contemporary architectural education. This historic tool was successfully implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The strategic choice of the grid as a starting point allowed exploring medieval construction techniques integrated with digital tools. This approach not only highlights the connection between architecture and music, evidencing the influence of the Pythagorean and Platonic schools in the Middle Ages, but also demonstrates the versatility of the grid in academic training. Through practical analyses and case studies, analytical and creative skills were promoted among those who dedicate themselves to studying architecture. The transformation of architecture teaching in current university environments, moving away from the traditional model, poses challenges. The dilemma between digital tools and access to information allows for reinterpreting compositional methods. Analysis of the academic use of the Villard de Honnecourt grid and its predecessor, the Van Der Graaf grid system, highlights their historical relevance and distinctive geometric characteristics. The grid has become an essential pedagogical tool from its medieval origins to its contemporary application. This study, which was carried out at the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, reflects upon the model proposed by the grid. It analyzes its implications in academic teaching-learning processes, revealing its impact in physical, documentary, and technological dimensions. In summary, it highlights the adaptability and continued relevance of the grid as an essential pedagogical tool in the training of architects.

“Temple” at the Baba-ata fortifi ed settlement, a monument of fallacies

The article deals with the results of the archaeological works, conducted at the Baba-Ata fortified settlement in 1950s. During the study of the settlement citadel, three building horizons, connected by a well with a total length of 15 m, were identified. The lower horizon of the citadel with a central domed room, where there was a well with an underground passage, turned out to be unique in its own way. Having no similar analogues, the construction on the lower horizon gave rise to a lot of different interpretations among specialists, who considered this building as a homestead, castle, temple, sanctuary, khanqah, etc. The architectural archaeological analysis of the entire complex of sources (articles, excavation journals of expedition participants, drawings and photographs of objects under study, etc.), some of which have not been published anywhere, made it possible to give a completely different interpretation and dating of the site. The Baba-Ata fortified settlement is identified with the city of Baruket in Arabic sources, it was built by the Samanids at the beginning of the 10th century as a border point in the northeast of the empire against the Guzes Initially, the lower horizon construction consisted of two floors. The lower – semibasement, which caused a lot of controversy, was a shelter with the possibility of evacuation through the underground passage during the hostilities and has no analogues, being a kind of only building in medieval architecture of Central Asia.

Architectural decoration of the mausoleum no. 1 of the khan necropolis nearby the village of Lapas in the Astrakhan region

This article continues a series of scientific works aimed at the study of the central mausoleum of the Khan necropolis nearby the village of Lapas in the Astrakhan region. It deals with one of the elements of architectural decoration – a tile-lintel, most often found and having a wide variety of types. The article examines the genesis of this type of tile and the ways of its appearance in the Lower Volga region. A wide range of analogies at the sites of medieval architecture of Central Asia is engaged. The authors made a technological analysis of this group of items, examined in detail all the types of revealed ornaments, and determined a scheme for recording the sizes of the findings. For the first time, a detailed typology has been developed for the tiles-lintels, including all the samples known on the site to date. In addition to architectural and artistic features, tiles-lintels have a chrono-marker function, allowing, together with other information sources, to date the construction time of the mausoleum.

Review: Lateness and Modernity in Medieval Architecture

Review: <i>Lateness and Modernity in Medieval Architecture</i>

“Protean Mechanism”: Robert Willis and the Technics of Architectural History

Abstract Robert Willis’s writing in the nineteenth century was foundational to the development of the discipline of architectural history. Closely related to other Cambridge scientists, including William Farish and William Whewell, Willis deployed similar methods and forms of conceptualization in his writings about medieval architecture. He focused on five areas in particular: the isometric projection, the building as kit-of-parts, detailed technical forms of description using illustrations and specialized vocabularies, the machine tool, and new tools for measuring cogwheels and architectural profiles. Using an interdisciplinary approach and drawing upon contemporary ideas of political economy by Karl Marx and Charles Babbage, this article resituates Willis’s writing in the context of the separation of manual from intellectual labor under industrial capitalism, arguing that the architectural historian was complicit both with the forms of abstraction required of professionalization and with the alienation of labor.

APPLICATION OF THE “PILLAR-FREE GAVIT” PRINCIPLE IN RUSSIAN CHURCH ARCHITECTURE

The article analyses the experience of using the constructive technique of intersecting arches (according to the “gavit principle”), originating from Armenian medieval architecture, in Russian architecture of the second half of the 19th century - 20th century and at the turn of the 21st century. The author considers the experience of understanding this constructive ceiling system in the practice of modern church construction.

ACOUSTIC VESSELS OF THE MIDDLE AGES AND RESONATORS (HOLOSNIKI) OF CHERNIHIV CHURCHES

The use of so-called acoustic vessels in medieval monumental architecture is a subject of debate. These vessels were most often placed in the arches and vaults of buildings. Sometimes their necks, exposed to the interior spaces, formed decorative compositions. However, it is incomprehensible whether they actually improved the acoustic properties of buildings. It is suggested that these vessels were intended to reduce the weight of the building structures instead. There is also no clear understanding of when and where the tradition of their use originated or how it spread. Nevertheless, the presence of «acoustic vessels» in hundreds of buildings from the 10th to the 18th centuries in Europe and Asia Minor allows us to consider them as characteristic of medieval architecture and to view «acoustic vessels» as a specific building material. The tradition of using acoustic vessels in Eastern Europe can be traced in the example of Chernihiv. In Chernihiv, they were documented during the research of the Transfiguration Cathedral and the 11th-century tomb church, as well as in the 12th-century Borisoglebsk and Assumption Cathedrals and the Pyatnytska Church of the 12th — early 13th centuries. Research materials indicate that specially made jugs were used as acoustic vessels in the construction of 11th-century Chernihiv. Later (not earlier than the second half of the 12th century), amphorae began to be used. In the example of Chernihiv, two main methods of using «acoustic vessels» in construction can be identified: numerous vessels filled the cavities of the vaults; one or several vessels were placed at the base of the vaults and arches. The first method is typically found in earlier buildings, while the second is more common in later ones. A separate issue is the production of this specific building material. The early «acoustic vessels» of Chernihiv have no analogues among the traditional products of local potters. Most likely, their production was organized by the craftsmen who carried out the construction. Only much later the amphorae, arrived as imported items from the Mediterranean, began to be used.

THE CATHEDRAL OF SAN MASSIMO IN FORCONA (AQ): ARCHAEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND INTEGRATED DIGITAL EXPERIENCES FOR VR EXPLORATION AND SITE ENHANCEMENT

Abstract. The contribution aims to present the results obtained from the archaeological analysis of the architecture of the Cathedral of San Massimo in Forcona (AQ), which took place in 2021, focusing on the digital systems used for the documentation and valorization of the monument. The work is part of a broader research project developed by the University of L'Aquila and focused on the archaeological study of medieval architecture as a function of the creation of a database on a chronological-typological basis of the masonry construction techniques of the city and its territory. The first structure to be analyzed was the Cathedral of San Massimo in Forcona, which, although it is located at a significant distance from the city center, represented a power pole of fundamental importance for the political-economic administration of the territory, at least until the construction of the city of L'Aquila. The documentation carried out through integrated TLS/SfM digital surveys and archaeological analysis allowed first to establish a chronological sequence of the construction phases of the church, but also to hypothesize through 3D reconstructions the historical evolution of the entire architectural complex. These reconstructions then became the digital support for the creation of a series of immersive VR systems aimed at providing experiences of interactive storytelling and dissemination of research outcomes.

Architecture of Medieval Armenia as a Field of Research for Russian and Italian Scholars: Comparative Analyses of the Historiography

For the first time in the literature, this study provides an analysis of the activities of two major architectural–archeological missions that investigated the architectural heritage of the Armenian Highlands: the Russian Ani Archaeological Expedition (1892–1893 and 1904–1917) and the Italian academic programs of the Universities of Rome and Venice and that of Milan Polytechnic (from 1966 to the 1980s). In this article, the results of the conducted research are compared, and their contribution to the development of the history of medieval architecture is evaluated. The differences in the results are related to the chronological distance between the missions, as well as the main focus of each work: the activities of the Russians are primarily archeological, while those of the Italian groups are architectural. The head of the Ani Institute, Nikolay Marr, set himself the task of exhibiting the original artifacts in the museum he had created in the medieval capital of Armenia, Ani, while the Italian professors relied on photography for both permanent and touring exhibitions. The second mission was in unspoken contact with the first, forming a kind of time-stretched dialog. Although, by the 1970s, almost none of the participants in Marr’s expedition remained alive, his scientific works were periodically being published, with some still waiting their turn in the scientific archives.

Architectural historicism: the reflection of Western medieval architecture on contemporary churches. Jordan as a case study

PurposeThis research purpose was to explore the meaning of historicism, architectural historicism, the architectural attributes, design principles, elements and ornamentations of churches in medieval Western architecture, and how they were reflected in contemporary churches' design in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachThis research used the historical descriptive–interpretive qualitative research method. Around 24 Western medieval churches were selected, studied and analyzed to explore the common design attributes of each historical era. The design attributes of each era were segmented under three categories: Design principles (plans' typology, facades, shapes, details, composition and building form), design elements (openings, towers and entrances) and ornamentation (sculptures, paintings and interior decoration). Additionally, three modern Jordanian churches were analyzed using the same method to compare with the historical churches through personal observations, field trips, researchers' memories, site visits, archival records, plans, images, books, slides, details and note-making. Different types of evidence were used, such as determinate, contextual and inferential. In addition, different tactics for analysis were used in analyzing the historical churches: site familiarity, use of existing documents, virtual and visual inspection and comparison with conditions elsewhere. Credibility was achieved when the results were reviewed and compared with the original and similar information.FindingsEarly Christian design principles, elements and ornamentations were reflected in Jordanian churches more than in Byzantine, Renaissance, Romanesque and Gothic. The design principles of Western medieval architecture were reflected in the selected Jordanian churches more than in ornamentation and design elements. Moreover, this research found that the highest reflection of Western medieval architecture on Jordanian churches was in designing the plans, which is a basilica with a central nave and aisles followed by opening styles, façade, shapes, entrances design, composition, painting and the minimum reflection was in sculptures. Additionally, there was no reflection on tower design and interior decoration.Practical implicationsThis research encourages architects to enhance architectural historicism by focusing on historical styles in contemporary designs and using design elements, principles and decorations of historical styles in medieval architecture to enrich the variety and originality of architectural design and create new modern stylistic architecture. Architectural historicism increases historical self-awareness and helps a generation of architects to answer the question: In what style should be built.Originality/valueLearning the design principles, not copying the past, is becoming a trend for most architects. Architectural historicism introduces new temporal elements, gives a new meaning and primary function to architecture to become socio-temporal and contextual contrast and reflects the essential points of references of the past through design methodology to express the present. The advantage of this research is to put an end to architects' role in syncretism and subjectivism. Instead, historicism architects equipped with the necessary knowledge and supported by the published research and inventors of historical architecture, can choose, imitate, adapt, borrow and use the correct historical forms that originated in a given period.

The reuse of ancient tuff blocks in early medieval construction in Rome

AbstractThis paper analyzes the reuse of ancient tuff blocks in early medieval architecture in Rome, in both papal and private structures. The blocks are a well-known phenomenon, but they have not yet received any focused study. Short discussions in earlier scholarship have typically described them in utilitarian terms. I first identify a pattern of targeted reuse in papal building projects. I then argue that they would also have had symbolic value for an independent papacy wanting to display power. For later private builders, I propose that the blocks became prestige materials displayed on the houses of an ever-tightening aristocracy eager to be seen within some of the city's most important monumental spaces. I consider how the city's ancient monuments and their pieces were viewed in the early medieval period and how the blocks’ ancient contexts contributed to the symbolic value that I identify in them.

St Stephen's, Vienna, and the crises of 1408: practice theory and the socio-politics of the medieval building site

ABSTRACT In 1408 Vienna's politics were traversed by violence. Dynastic conflict among the Habsburgs and internecine differences between residents culminated in executions and overthrows of the city's government. Concurrently, building work at the city's largest church – overseen by leading figures in its civic politics, also victims of one of the year's purges – slackened. It was a moment when high politics, architectural production and the everyday practice of urban life intersected in ways unusually visible to the historian. Historians have adopted different historiographical positions for positing medieval architecture as a socio-political phenomenon, based on unilateral acts of princes and churchmen, dynamics of class conflict, administrative techniques of project managers or shared ‘imaginaries’. This article reflects on the events of 1408 using a new approach, taken from practice theory, to describe how the building site, reconceptualised as an open-ended bundle of doings and sayings, constituted and transformed the late medieval Viennese social.

Taking inspiration from medieval architecture: Using catenary arches in place of straight beam as the building block into bending-dominated lattice structures

Regular bending-dominated lattice structures use straight strut elements as the building blocks in their unit cell which is easier to deform under compression. To improve their performance, replacing the straight elements with the curved members of catenary arch geometry is proposed. Two representative cases – body centered cubic and simple cubic are designed, manufactured using AlSi10Mg alloy and tested experimentally in this study with their struts replaced by catenary arches. Numerical simulations were also conducted at the unit cell level to understand the stress development and regions of high stress concentrations. The effect of different heat treatment procedures was also investigated for both test cases. It was observed that the use of catenary elements had opposing effects on the strength of the BCC and SCC lattice structures when compared to their straight element counterparts. The higher nodal connectivity adversely affected the strength and the lattice failure depended highly on the same. The residual stress release heat treatment improved the mechanical properties of the lattice structures while the solution treatment and aging reduced the strength and modulus but substantially increased the compressibility of the lattice structures.

Hammam from Khankurgan

The authors publish the results of architectural and archaeological research of the medieval bath house carried out on the territory of the settlement Khankurgan in 2015–2016. During the excavations, six rooms were unearthed, two of which were built of burned bricks and turned out to be “steam rooms” with an underfloor heating system, the remaining four were frame rooms – “washing rooms”. All rooms are covered with waterproof mortar and plaster. Their original layer was decorated with red-brown drawings, carved stucco and moldings. The plaster has been updated more than twenty times in the course of multiple repairs. Two major reconstructions of the bathhouse were recorded, which did not affect the "hot" rooms, due to which their original layout was preserved. The stages of restructuring and repair work for the entire period of operation of the hammam are determined. The Khankurgan bath house is well preserved and is a unique example of medieval architecture of the Samanid era, it belongs to rather early examples of such structures that arose at the middle of the 9th century. Functioning until the middle of the 11th century, it gives us a represent of the features of the architectural and construction techniques used in the building of the baths of the pre-Mongolian era in Kazakhstan. Hammam Khankurgan, being a vivid example of the medieval architecture, allows to determine the time of the emergence of this culture in the Ispidzhab historical and cultural region, clarifying its planning, constructive and shaping principles, reflecting in general the cultural and economic connection of the region with the Muslim world.

THE DYNAMIC-STATIC METHOD (DSM) FOR STRUCTURAL DISPLACEMENT ANALYSIS USING THE EXAMPLE OF A WOODEN CHURCH IN DOMACHOWO (POLAND)

Abstract. Medieval architecture in Poland is not widely represented in the tangible cultural heritage. A preserved structure with traces of medieval architecture is the parish church in Domachowo in southern Greater Poland (Wielkopolska). Due to numerous alterations and modernisations, it is now a complex structure showing clear signs of a damaged original geometry.For this reason, a project was initiated to measure the stability of the structure, especially under the influence of extreme external factors: mainly gusts of wind and uneven sun illumination. The implementation of the project required using two methods of measurement: static, at fixed time intervals, and dynamic, recorded on an ongoing basis during the operation of variable loads. The outcomes consisting of a combination of both methods and the unconventional use of precise inclinometers for measuring wooden structures, opens up new possibilities for real-time analysis of structural deformations and ongoing monitoring of technical conditions.The subject of this paper is to present the methodology of the conducted static-dynamic measurements (DSM) and the interpretation of their results, mainly in the context of assessing accuracy, stability of long-term readings with inertial sensors, and basic structural assessment.

Povijest arhitekture kao dinamički proces

Renate Wagner-Rieger focused her research on Austrian medieval architecture in addition to her studies of the ”Wiener Ringstrasse” especially when she participated in significant public Middle Ages art exhibitions. The shows were supported by catalogue essays, which were finally collected in her final book. As a response, she covered a wide range of architectural history in her lectures.

Robert G. Ousterhout, Eastern Medieval Architecture. The building traditions of Byzantium and neighboring lands. New York: Oxford University Press 2019, Pp. 783

An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content.

Octagonal Layouts: Project Genesis of the Cathedral of Valencia

Octagonal layouts are widely used in medieval architecture. In Spain, the Cathedral of Valencia is an exceptional example because of its compositional arrangement and early date of construction. The study of this cathedral serves not only to propose the regulatory layout and geometric process to develop the transept, the ambulatory, and the dome but allows the empirical establishment of the complex properties and characteristics of the octagon. By surveying the planes with a 3D laser scanner, the graphic procedures used in the original design of the temple were verified, as were the geometric theories pertaining to the figure of the octagon in architecture, set by the golden ratio.

MADRASAH TURKMAN (RAHMONKUL KARAULBEGI)

The Turkman Madrasah, also known as Rahmonkul Karaulbegi, is an architectural monument in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. This building was built in the Kemukhtgaron quarter in the 16th century during the reign of the Shaibanids. The madrasah was dedicated to the teaching of religious sciences and was one of the main educational centers in Bukhara. The building of the Turkman Madrasah has been preserved to this day and is an excellent example of medieval architecture in Central Asia. In different periods of time, the building was subjected to restoration and reconstruction, however, the last major restoration was carried out with the support of the Japanese government. This article provides an overview of the Turkman Madrasah and its history, and describes the architectural features and details of the building. She also looks at the history of the building's restoration and preservation to the present day.