Reviewing the types of

historical vaults and Domes

Seccond Lecture

Masonry Construction

March 2013

Invention of masonry vaults and domes are might the most important improvement

in the history of architecture. These elements were important means to overcoming

of limitation of blocks or timbers in covering the wide spans.

One of the oldest example of masonry domes is The Treasure of Atreo also named

Agamemnon’s Tomb was built in in is In 1350 BC at Mycenae, Greece. a conical dome

with 14.6 m diameter and 13.5 m height.it was constructed with stone.

This type of construction was continuing until the industrial revolution which replaced

by the steel and concrete.

Entrance of Treasure of AtreoThe Dome of Treasure of Atreo The Section of Treasure of Atreo

Barrel Vault

Barrel vault is the extrusion of arch along the horizontal axes.

The arch can be semicircular arch or pointed arch.

Barrel Vault

Semi circular barrel vault

Lisbon-Cathedral, Portugal

Pointed barrel vault

Senanque Abbey, France

Tournus Abbey, France

Taq-i Kisra,Iraq

Cross Vault

Cross Vault Is composed of two barrel vaults

The diffusion of forces are along the principle axes of arch surfaces

Cross Vault

Basilica Palladiana, Italy

San Pietro Church, Italy

Peterborough cathedral , England

St. Agnes Church, Poland

Rib vault

The uses of ribs in groin vault were in thought of covering unpleasant finishing in

place of the groin but then they became the necessary element for stiffing the

weakness of the vault.

Ribbed vault is the intersection of two or more barrel vault, which the lines of

crossing thicken, in order to stabilize the connection lines.

different types of vaults with complex geometry are originated from ribs

Stellar vault (star shape pattern)

Force Diffusion cathedral saint John,

Poland

St. Maria Mercado-Spain

Examples of Complex Rib Vaults

Lincoln Cathedral-UkGloucester cathedral-ukHoly cross cathedral-

Germany

Examples of Complex Rib Vaults

Wells Cathedral UK

Fan Vaults

Fan vault is composed of curved ribs with same curvatures which are places

equidistantly, providing a curved shell surface or conoid shape. The ribs joint

together tangentially an form a flat surface between them. The forces

distributions are along the ribs and surface.

Fan Vaults

KING’S COLLEGE CHAPEL, UK Bath cathedral UK ELY CATHEDRAL,UK

Surface Dome

Surface dome: an arch rotates around its vertical ax to form a hemispherical shape .

The loads are transferred through the any vertical inter-section of the dome.

The plan of surface dome is a circle . additional arches, pendentives and squinches are

constructive device which permit the placing of surface domes over a rectangular

room.

Surface Dome Domus Aurea, Italy

Surface Dome Hagia Sophia, Turkey

Pendentive is the triangular segment of the sphere,

taper in end point and expands in top part, allows the

connection between circular part and rectangular base.

Masonry pendentives also are responsible of directing

the loads to the pillars.

Surface Dome Varamin Mosque,Iran

Squinch is the small arch, corbeling

built cross the interior angle between

two walls, filling the corner with vise

placed diagonally to make the square

space, covered by octagonal or

spherical dome.

Ribbed Dome

Consist of hemisphere and ribs which connect infill surface with each other. the loads

are directed along the ribs and infill surfaces.

Ribbed Dome Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, Italy

Basically the stacked arch dome is composed of series of corbelled arches. The

chains of arches progress from the first line toward the apex. The arches form the

nested arch, which direct the loads along them to the keystone of beneath arch.

Stacked Arch Dome

Stacked Arch Dome Sindone Chapel , Italy

Some Examples of Geometrical Iranian Domes

Yazdi Bandi Dome

Aminodeleh Bazar, Iran Qom Bazar, Iran

Kase Sazi Dome

Emam Hosein Mosque, Iran

Muqarnas Dome

Esfehan Jame Mosque, Iran

Thank You...