Partitions, spandrels, ribs and alleys: another way of seeing partitioned vaults

Abstract

Nowadays, tile vaults arouse renewed interest which can be attributed to their technical, economic and aesthetic advantages. But in recent times the focus has been on the suggestive aesthetic possibilities of the thin partitioned sections that define the hulls or severy, ignoring that these were used to be integrated into a construction system. In this construction system there were no less relevant components such as fillings, partitions or the structural coexistence of several vaults. This set of elements not only had to achieve a satisfactory visual result, it also had to assume other functions: facilitate the control of the shape during its construction; reduce costs in falsework and ensure the structural stability of the system. The current possibility of designing and building self-supporting warped shapes, mechanically stable, has largely overshadowed age-old experimentation. For this reason, we believe that it is appropriate to recall the evolution of the complete system of tile vaults after hundreds of years of experience.