List of architectural vaults
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of arched structures known in architecture as vaults
.
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
.
- Ambulatory vaultAmbulatoryThe ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
– the covered portion of the covered passage around a cloisterCloisterA cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
. Often written in the context of an ambulatory vault mosaic. - Annular vault – A Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
springing from two concentric walls. - Aynalı vault – Turkish vault made by cutting a monastery vault's upper part in a horizontal plane. See Cavetto vault
- Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
– An architecture tunnel vault or barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
is a semicircular arch extended in depth: a continuous series of arches, one behind the other. The simplest form of an architecture vault, consisting of a continuous surface of semicircular or pointed sections. It resembles a barrel or tunnel which has been cut in half lengthwise and is known as tunnel vault or wagon vault. A longitudinal barrel vault is a barrel (or tunnel) vault which follows the main longitudinal direction of the nave. Usually when a vault is referred to simply as a barrel (or tunnel) vault, it may be assumed to be a longitudinal barrel vault. - Baroque vault – term from Church of Our Lady in front of TýnChurch of Our Lady in front of TýnThe Church of Our Lady before Týn is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic, and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century...
. Also see Baroque architecture. - Catalan vaultCatalan vaultThe Catalan vault, also called the Catalan turn or Catalan arch or a timbrel vault, is a type of low arch made of plain bricks often used to make a structural floor surface...
– The Catalan vault, also called the Catalan turn or Catalan arch, is a type of low arch made of plain bricks. It is traditionally constructed by laying bricks lengthwise, making it a much gentler curve than has generally been produced by other methods of construction. - Cavetto vault – Cavetto is a hollow, concave molding sometimes employed in the place of the cymatiumCymatiumCymatium, a molding on the cornice of some classical buildings. Sometimes decorated with an anthemion. It is characteristic of Ionic columns and can appear as part of the entablature, the epistylium, and the capital....
of a corniceCorniceCornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, as in that of the Done order of the theatre of MarcellusTheatre of MarcellusThe Theatre of Marcellus is an ancient open-air theatre in Rome, Italy, built in the closing years of the Roman Republic. At the theatre, locals and visitors alike were able to watch performances of drama and song. Today its ancient edifice in the rione of Sant'Angelo, Rome, once again provides...
. It forms the crowning feature of Egyptian templeEgyptian templeEgyptian temples were built for the official worship of the gods and commemoration of pharaohs in Ancient Egypt and in regions under Egyptian control. These temples were seen as houses for the gods or kings to whom they were dedicated...
s, and took the place of the cymatium in many of the Etruscan temples. - Catenary - A vault may take the shape of an inverted catenary.
- Cloister vault – A dome-like vault having a square or polygonal base from which curved segments rise to a central point.
- Corbel vaultCorbel archA corbel arch is an arch-like construction method that uses the architectural technique of corbeling to span a space or void in a structure, such as an entranceway in a wall or as the span of a bridge...
– A concave formation of blocks, usually stone or masonry; the vault is formed by blocks as they project inward from the layer on which they rest. - Cross vault – See Groin vaultGroin vaultA groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
- Cycloidal vault – A vault in which the diameter across the springline is equal to the circumference of a circle fitting inside the space between the apex of the vault and the diameter line. This particular proportion system creates very little lateral thrust from the vault structure.
- Cylindrical vault – See Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
- Diamond vaultDiamond vaultA diamond vault is a form of vault used in the Late Gothic and Renaissance style, which is based on an elaborate system of cavernous vaults in a manner resembling diamonds. It was widely used especially in Central European countries....
– A diamond vault is a form of vault used in the Late Gothic and RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
style, which is based on an elaborate system of cavernous vaults in a manner resembling diamonds. It was widely used especially in Central European countries. - Domical vault – See Cloister vault
- Fan vaultFan vaultthumb|right|250px|Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a [[Victorian restoration]] of the original roof of 1608....
– An architecture vault which consists of fan-shaped half cones which usually meet at the center of a vault. - Gothic vault – From Talk page. See also Gothic architecture and Church of Holy Trinity in MošovceChurch of Holy Trinity in MošovceIn the past, the gothic Church of Holy Trinity in Mošovce was with a tower, which was the dominant feature of its surroundings, and it belonged to the most monumental sacral buildings in Turiec....
, Synagogue of TomarSynagogue of TomarThe Synagogue of Tomar is the best preserved of the medieval synagogues of Portugal. It is located in the historic centre of the city of Tomar, and houses a small Jewish Museum....
. - Groin vaultGroin vaultA groin vault or groined vault is produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel vaults. The word groin refers to the edge between the intersecting vaults; cf. ribbed vault. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults are pointed instead of round...
– An architecture groin vault is formed when two barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
s intersect. The undersurface, or soffitSoffitSoffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
, may be generated from a series of pointed, rather than round, arches. Also known as a cross vault. An architecture vault produced by the intersection at right angles of two barrel (tunnel) vaults. Sometimes the arches of groin vaults may be pointed instead of round. - Handkerchief vault – See DomeDomeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
- Inflatable vault – See Inflatable vault having a multilobed double wall
- LierneLierne (vault)A Lierne in Gothic rib vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss...
– A Lierne (from the French lier – to bind) in Gothic rib-vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss. It is named after the star shape generated by connecting liernes. Also see Stellar vault. - Muqarnas vaultMuqarnasMuqarnas is a type of corbel used as a decorative device in traditional Islamic architecture. The term is similar to mocárabe, but mocárabe only refers to designs with formations resembling stalactites, by the use of elements known as alveole.Muqarnas takes the form of small pointed niches,...
– Muqarnas is the Arabic word for stalactite vault, an architectural ornament developed around the middle of the tenth century in north-eastern IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and almost simultaneously, but apparently independently, in central North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. A muqarnas is a three-dimensional architectural decoration composed of niche-like elements arranged in tiers. The two-dimensional projection of a muqarnas vault consists of a small variety of simple geometrical elements. - Net vault – A vault on which a complex of ribs gives a net-like appearance.
- Nubian vaultNubian vaultIn architecture, a Nubian vault is a type of curved surface forming a vaulted structure. The mudbrick structure was revived by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy after re-discovering the technique in the Nubian village of Abu al-Riche. The technology is advocated by environmentalists as...
– A contour that obtained when a chain is held up at its two ends. - Ogee vault – Ogee is a shape consisting of a concave arc flowing into a convex arc, so forming an S-shaped curve with vertical ends.
- Ogival vault – An architectural vault
- Parabolic vault – An architectural vault with a parabolicParabolaIn mathematics, the parabola is a conic section, the intersection of a right circular conical surface and a plane parallel to a generating straight line of that surface...
cross section. - Hyperbolic parabaloidParaboloidIn mathematics, a paraboloid is a quadric surface of special kind. There are two kinds of paraboloids: elliptic and hyperbolic. The elliptic paraboloid is shaped like an oval cup and can have a maximum or minimum point....
vault. - Ploughshare vault – A Rib vaultRib vaultThe intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
where the wall ribs spring from a higher position than those of the diagonal ribs. - Quadripartite vault – A Rib vaultRib vaultThe intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
where the bay is divided by diagonal and transverse ribs into four cells or webs. - Rampant vault – A Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
where one springing in point is higher than the opposite springing point. - Rear vault – A of the internal hood of a doorway or window to which a splay has been given on the reveal, sometimes the vaulting surface is terminated by a small rib known as the scoinson rib, and a further development is given by angle shafts carrying this rib, known as scoinson shafts.
- Rib vaultRib vaultThe intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
– A rib vault is any vault reinforced by masonry ribs. Also known as a ribbed vault. A rib vault may be a quadripartite rib vault (which is divided into four sections by two diagonal ribs) and a sexpartite rib vaultSexpartite vaultSexpartite vault, in architecture, is a rib vault divided into six bays by two diagonal ribs and three transverse ribs.The principal examples are those in the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Abbaye-aux-Dames at Caen , Notre Dame de Paris, and the cathedrals of Bourges, Laon, Noyon, Senlis and Sens; from...
(a rib vault whose surface is divided into six sections by three ribs). - Sail vault – See DomeDomeA dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
- Sexpartite vaultSexpartite vaultSexpartite vault, in architecture, is a rib vault divided into six bays by two diagonal ribs and three transverse ribs.The principal examples are those in the Abbaye-aux-Hommes and Abbaye-aux-Dames at Caen , Notre Dame de Paris, and the cathedrals of Bourges, Laon, Noyon, Senlis and Sens; from...
– A Rib vaultRib vaultThe intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
similar to the Quadripartite vault, but where the bay is further divided by an extra transverse ribs so that there are six cells. - Shell vault – A thin self-supporting vault.
- Stalactite vault – See Muqarnas vaultMuqarnasMuqarnas is a type of corbel used as a decorative device in traditional Islamic architecture. The term is similar to mocárabe, but mocárabe only refers to designs with formations resembling stalactites, by the use of elements known as alveole.Muqarnas takes the form of small pointed niches,...
. A vaulting system employing carved Muqarna to corbel the span. - Stellar vault – from Lierne (vault)Lierne (vault)A Lierne in Gothic rib vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss...
. A Rib vaultRib vaultThe intersection of two or three barrel vaults produces a rib vault or ribbed vault when they are edged with an armature of piped masonry often carved in decorative patterns; compare groin vault, an older form of vault construction...
including liernesLierne (vault)A Lierne in Gothic rib vaulting is an architectural term for a tertiary rib spanning between two other ribs, instead of from a springer, or to the central boss...
and tiercerons forming a star shaped pattern of ribs. - Stilted vault – See Ploughshare vault
- Surbased vault – A vault with a cross section less than a semicircle, i.e. a segment.
- Surmounted vault – A vault with a cross section greater than a semicircle.
- Timbrel vaultGuastavino tileGuastavino tile is the "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885 by Valencian architect and builder Rafael Guastavino...
– from Guastavino tileGuastavino tileGuastavino tile is the "Tile Arch System" patented in the US in 1885 by Valencian architect and builder Rafael Guastavino...
. U.S.-patented (1885) system using interlocking terracotta tileTileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s and layers of mortarMortar (masonry)Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
in a thin skin, with the tiles following the curve of the roof as opposed to horizontal (corbelCorbelIn architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
ling), or perpendicular to the curve (Roman). This is known as timbrel vaulting because of supposed likeness to the skin of a timbrelTimbrelTimbrel or tabret , the principal musical instrument of percussion of the Israelites, similar to the modern tambourine.-History:...
or tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
. - Tierceron vault – A vault consisting of unnecessary ribs all transverse in nature, often confused with a Fan vaultFan vaultthumb|right|250px|Fan vaulting over the nave at Bath Abbey, Bath, England. Made from local Bath stone, this is a [[Victorian restoration]] of the original roof of 1608....
from a conceived imagery standpoint, often intersecting a ridge rib. - Tripartite vault – The resulting intersection, triangular on plan, of 3 vaults.
- Tunnel vault – See Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
- Vault grid – See Vault grid
- Wagon vault – See Barrel vaultBarrel vaultA barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...