Two- and three-dimensional geometry in tierceron vaults: A case study of the cloister at Norwich Cathedral

Located at the heart of Norfolk in East Anglia, the cloister at Norwich Cathedral has one of the most con-tested construction histories in English medieval architecture. Built 1297-1430 under a succession of patrons and master masons, the cloister’s complex building sequence has invited a wide range of interpretations by architectural historians, including various theories regarding its design and construction process. However, these discussions have rarely taken account of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometry of the tierceron vaults above. A key exception to this is the work of Robert Willis (1800-75), who used what he termed the ‘middle plan’ to identify changes in the vault’s three-dimensional form, identifying four designs in the east, south, west and north walks of the cloister. This paper uses a variety of digital surveying and analytical methods to re-examine the concept of the middle plan and its potential as a tool for comparing forms and geometries in medieval vaulting. Focusing on the east walk, it investigates the relationship between this comparative tool and the two- and three-dimensional geometries which it purportedly represents, outlining a series of design and constructional differences between the individual bays of the vault. By considering the potential implications of these observations for the building’s construction sequence, the paper represents a comprehensive re-evaluation of the middle plan as a method for architectural study, suggesting new directions for research both for the cloister and construction history more generally

Cardiff and Miller’s Road Trip (2004): Between Archive and Fiction

This paper uses an installation by the Canadian artists Cardiff and Miller to reflect on the nature of archival relationships and the possibilities of the archive as a fictional device. Road Trip is interpreted as a form of archive, creating relationships between different documentary layers that play out across time. It is suggested that the work’s impact derives from the tensions between the evidentiary and the narrative characteristics of the different “documents.” As an artwork, the constructed nature of Road Trip and its power to evoke an emotional response are obvious and intentional; nevertheless, these qualities are inherent in all archives. Art’s power to move reminds us of the need to be aware of the latent and potential layers of meaning within archives and the multifarious relationships they both embody and construct. RÉSUMÉ  Ce texte se fonde sur une installation des artistes canadiens Cardiff et Miller afin de réfléchir sur la nature des liens archivistiques, et sur les possibilités de l’archive comme appareil littéraire. L’auteure y interprète Road Trip comme une forme d’archives qui crée des liens entre les diverses couches documentaires qui se manifestent avec le temps. Elle suggère que l’impact de cette oeuvre provient des tensions entre les caractéristiques probantes et narratives des « documents » différents. Comme oeuvre d’art, la nature interprétée de Road Trip et son pouvoir de susciter une réaction émotive sont évidents et intentionnels; néanmoins, ces qualités sont inhérentes à toutes les archives. Le fait que l’art détient ce pouvoir de susciter une réaction émotive nous rappelle le besoin d’être conscient des diverses couches de sens cachées et potentielles à l’intérieur des archives, ainsi que des liens multiples qui sont incarnés par les archives, ou encore, construits par elles.&nbsp

Digitally aided analysis of medieval vaults in an English cathedral, using generative design tools

Medieval masons relied on a ruler and compass to generate designs of increasing complexity in both two and three dimensions. They understood that arcs and lines could be used for proportioning, working with halves, thirds, fifths and so on, rather than specific dimensions. Geometric rules enabled them to create vaulted bays, high up in church and cathedral interiors. In recent years, the influence of digital generative design tools can be seen in our built environment. We will explore generative design to reverse engineer and better understand the design and computational processes that the medieval masons might have employed at our case study site of Exeter Cathedral, England. Our focus is on a run of bays along the nave, which at first appear consistent in their design, yet in reality are subtly different. We will investigate the capacity for changes in the generative process while preserving the overall medieval design concept