48 research outputs found
Triangular Proportional Scheme and Concept of the Two Serbian Medieval Churches
Serbian medieval architectural heritage is notable for its sacred architecture including numerous Christian Orthodox churches built at the territory of former RaĆĄka state during the period from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Built in the so-called RaĆĄka architectural style, characterized by overlapping features of Romanesque and Byzantine traditions, two monumentsâthe church of the Mother of God in Studenica monastery complex and the church of Holy Dormition in ĆœiÄa monastery complex, are exquisite sacred structures and cultural monuments of exceptional importance. They are also remarkable due to geometric-proportional regularities of their design. This paper highlights the importance of geometric concept in relation to proportional analysis of these two structures. Here presented study is conducted by two means: first oneâby investigating geometric scheme with equilateral triangles, incorporated into the layout and cross section patterns of each church structure; the second oneâby classical proportioning that includes proportional roots, golden section and numeric ratios
Oval Domes: History, Geometry and Mechanics
An oval dome may be defined as a dome whose plan or profile (or both) has an oval form. The word Aoval@ comes from the latin Aovum@, egg. Then, an oval dome has an egg-shaped geometry. The first buildings with oval plans were built without a predetermined form, just trying to close an space in the most economical form. Eventually, the geometry was defined by using arcs of circle with common tangents in the points of change of curvature. Later the oval acquired a more regular form with two axis of symmetry. Therefore, an âovalâ may be defined as an egg-shaped form, doubly symmetric, constructed with arcs of circle; an oval needs a minimum of four centres, but it is possible also to build polycentric ovals.
The above definition corresponds with the origin and the use of oval forms in building and may be applied without problem until, say, the XVIIIth century. Since then, the teaching of conics in the elementary courses of geometry made the cultivated people to define the oval as an approximation to the ellipse, an âimperfect ellipseâ: an oval was, then, a curve formed with arcs of circles which tries to approximate to the ellipse of the same axes. As we shall see, the ellipse has very rarely been used in building.
Finally, in modern geometrical textbooks an oval is defined as a smooth closed convex curve, a more general definition which embraces the two previous, but which is of no particular use in the study of the employment of oval forms in building.
The present paper contains the following parts: 1) an outline the origin and application of the oval in historical architecture; 2) a discussion of the spatial geometry of oval domes, i. e., the different methods employed to trace them; 3) a brief exposition of the mechanics of oval arches and domes; and 4) a final discussion of the role of Geometry in oval arch and dome design
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Religious transformations in the Middle Ages: towards a new archaeological agenda
The study of religious change in Europe between the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Reformation forms one of the cornerstones of medieval archaeology but has been riven by period, denominational and geographical divisions. This paper lays the groundwork for a fundamental rethink of archaeological approaches to medieval religions, by adopting a holistic framework that places Christian, pagan, Islamic and Jewish case studies of religious transformation in a long-term, comparative perspective. Focused around the analytical themes of âhybridity and resilienceâ and âtempo and trajectoriesâ, our approach shifts attention away from the singularities of national narratives of religious conversion towards a deeper understanding of how religious beliefs, practices and identity were renegotiated by medieval people in their daily lives