Limiting the Use of Centering in Vaulted Construction: The Early Byzantine Churches of West Asia Minor

The break with the tradition of the timber-roof basilica and the passage to vaulted construction has been one of the most intriguing developments of the Early Byzantine period. A crucial question concerning this development regards the degree to which the emergent vaulting technology required the use of centering. The recent graphic reconstruction of a series of Early Byzantine churches in west Asia Minor, such as St. John and St. Mary at Ephesos, Building D at Sardis, and St. John at Philadelphia sheds new light on this problem. The study of the exposed inner layers of these dilapidated monuments makes it possible to visualize their vault structure in detail. Reconstruction reveals a wide variety of vault forms and brick patterns characterized by the setting of bricks in corbelled, ‘pitched’ or ‘arched’ brick courses. This paper investigates the degree to which these techniques can be attributed to the need to limit the use of timber formwork. The author also explores the origins of these techniques and the duration of their use. A wide range of later monuments suggests that these seemingly idiomatic building techniques developed into a building tradition with a lasting influence on church architecture in the region

Traditional Earthquake-resistant Construction in the East Aegean Sea: The Case of Eresos and Pergamon

The author investigates previously unknown, anti-seismic construction systems used at vernacular buildings of the settlements of Eresos, in the island of Lesvos, in the east of Greece, and in the settlement of Bergama, in the western coast of Turkey. The buildings examined employ techniques that differ significantly from conventional traditional building practice in the area. This building system resembles traditional anti-seismic structures of the Mediterranean like the ones of Calabria (Italy) and Leukada (Greece). Structures in Bergama and Eresos employ both autonomous masonry walls and timber frames with extensive ‘x’ bracing. During an earthquake, these frames could guarantee the stability of the roof in case of a partial collapse of the masonry structure. That building system seems to be based on advanced structural principles, such as the one of energy dissipation. It thus represents one of the earliest surviving architectural responses to earthquake danger in Greece and Turkey

Justinian's Church of the Holy Apostles: a New Reconstruction Proposal

With his remodelling of the church of the Holy Apostles, Justinian left his mark on the burial place of the Byzantine Emperors for almost a millennium. A major landmark of Constantinople, Justinian’s Apostoleion was one of the earliest cruciform domed churches and provided the model for numerous foundations with Apostolic dedications. Although the church was demolished after the Ottoman conquest, it was immortalized in a series of textual records, including the sixth-century account of Prokopios, and the poetic descriptions of Constantine of Rhodes (10th century) and Nikolaos Mesarites (12th century). Interpreting these sources helps to recapture aspects of this seminal building. But the evidence in our disposal is not only textual. Indeed, Prokopios’ claim that Justinian’s church of St. John at Ephesos was identical to the church of the Holy Apostles (Buildings V. i. 6) suggests that the former helps to understand how the Constantinopolitan church looked like. Further insights about the church of the Holy Apostles can be drawn from the basilica of San Marco in Venice, which seems to follow a similar architectural pattern. Enhancing our understanding of one of the most sophisticated vaulted churches of Constantinople, this paper helps to gain a better sense of the development of vaulted church architecture in the Early Byzantine period

Discovering the Byzantine Art of Building: Lectures at the RIBA, the Royal Academy and the London Architectural Society, 1843-58

British architects played a major role in the rediscovery of the Byzantine monuments of Greece in the late-19th and the early-20th century. Although the work of these architects is being investigated, its mid-19th century origins remain obscure. This topic has so far been dominated by the belief that, in this early period, British architects had limited interest in Byzantium. Yet, four lectures, read at the R.I.B.A., the Royal Academy, and the London Architectural Society from 1843 to 1857, challenge this view, reflecting a lively interest in Byzantine church architecture and its potential to inspire new design. Delivered by Charles Robert Cockerell (1843), Edwin Nash (1847), Thomas Leverton Donaldson (1853), and John Louis Petit (1857), these lectures constitute some of the earliest attempts in England to explore Byzantine architecture. The current paper investigates the manuscript records of these lectures in the archives of the R.I.B.A. These documents reveal an extensive understanding of Byzantine Architecture. Mentioning a plethora of churches in Greece, they reflect an interest in the structure of Byzantine monuments. Viewing these monuments through the lens of the builder emphasised their potential to inform new design, paving the way for the Byzantine Revival, half a century later. These authoritative lectures also prepared the conditions for the subsequent study of Byzantine architecture; they helped to form the cultural environment that favoured the systematic investigation of Byzantine architecture by British scholars from late-19th century onwards

Basilica B at Philippi: the Building Phases of an Incomplete Church

The Early Byzantine church known as 'Basilica B' at Philippi constitutes one of the rare Greek manifestations of the architectural type of the ‘domed basilica’, a type that plays a major role in the development of Byzantine church architecture. Considered to have started in the first half of the sixth century, the building was probably never completed: as Paul Lemerle demonstrated in 1945, the collapse of the vaults during construction must have brought a premature end to the history of this building. Lemerle attributed this collapse to a defective structure: walls and supports failed to provide sufficient support for the vaults. However, Lemerle and other scholars remain silent as to the reasons why such an ambitious building programme was to be marred by such a structural deficiency. The present paper seeks to fill this lacuna. Based on a new interpretation of overlooked construction details, it provides new evidence for a previously unknown building phase. Challenging Lemerle’s perception of Basilica B as a static architectural form, this study reveals older constructional layers indicative of a more complex building history. Our new knowledge of this history helps to interpret the difficulties and limitations that the architects of Basilica B encountered in their effort to construct one of the first domed basilicas in Early Byzantine Greece

The Lost Port of Rome: Vedute by Dutch and Flemish Artists as Evidence for the Reconstruction of the Ripa Grande

The remodelling of the port of Ripa Grande from the late 17th to the early 18th century remains one of the most obscure aspects of the urban history of Rome. This port disappeared during the construction of the Lungotevere, the giant roadways running along the riverfront, from 1876 onwards. This loss complicates our attempts to visualise the Ripa Grande, one of the main entrances to the heart of the city during the Baroque period. The topographical paintings and engravings of Gaspar Van Wittel, Hendrik Frans Van Lint and Lieven Cruyl can help to recapture some elements of the design of this port. Characterised by an acute observation of the way in which the city meets the water, these vedute have often been used to investigate the topography of the Tiber during a time when the connection between city and river was changing (D’Onofrio, 1970; Segarra Lagunes, 2004). However, scholars have not fully evaluated the role of these documents as evidence for the architectural evolution of the main port of Rome, the Ripa Grande. This paper aims to fill this lacuna. Investigating these vedute through the lens of the architect helps to extract information about the physical form of the port and its development during the second half of the 17th century. This examination focuses on the depiction of elements of the port such as docks, quays, ramps, and staircases. It also observes the buildings around the port, such as customs houses, shops, institutions, churches and towers. This investigation reveals details about the design and the evolution of the port that had not been noticed before. These are interpreted by reference to the maps of Tempesta (1591), Falda (late 17th century editions) and Nolli (1748). The combined examination of maps and paintings helps to produce new reconstructed plans of the port. The latter provide new insights into the evolution of port construction in Rome during the late Baroque period

A COMPARISON STUDY BETWEEN THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF THE ORIGINAL AND REBUILT VERNACULAR BUILDINGS OF DANA VILLAGE IN JORDAN

The settlement of Dana in Jordan is undergoing dramatic and rapid changes. The rehabilitation project launched by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) provided new tourist accommodation within the settlement, in a way that preserves its unique vernacular character. This has involved the repair and transformation of existing dwellings as well as the rebuilding of those that have been demolished. Currently, the original and rebuilt buildings stand side by side, offering a unique opportunity to compare their thermal performance. This comparison is essential to understand the impact of new construction materials and opening sizes on the thermal performance of vernacular buildings. For this purpose, the thermal performance of rebuilt and original buildings was monitored in August 2019 and February 2020, representing the hot and cold seasons. The recorded data was interpreted statistically, aiming mainly to compare the results from the original rooms with those from the rebuilt rooms. The study showed that the original buildings of Dana hotel resist thermal transfer more than the rebuilt ones. Both parts provide thermal comfort in summer, with the rebuilt rooms offering slightly better thermal comfort conditions. Meanwhile, neither original nor rebuilt rooms provide adequate thermal comfort in winter