Gothic Vault Roof

A vault is a self supporting ceiling built of masonry which is stable due to its form which is curved or double curved.

Gothic vault roof.

Gothic rib vaulting reims cathedral begun 1221 nave a rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space such as a church nave composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Vaults came into their greatest prominence in gothic architecture. In architecture a vault french voûte from italian volta is a self supporting arched form usually of stone or brick serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. The vault is a parallel series of arches used to form a roof the most common form being a cylindrical or barrel vault.

This ribbed vaulting is another distinguishing feature of gothic architecture. Also known as ogival vaulting ribbed vaulting developed with the need to transfer roof loads better while freeing up inner walls for tracery and glass. Gothic rib vault ceiling of the saint séverin church in paris interior elevation view of a gothic cathedral with rib vaulted roof highlighted. Vaulted ceiling look seven stories up and you ll be amazed by a central architectural feature of gothic cathedrals the vaulted ceiling which transmits the weight of the roof and walls across delicate ribs and down the heavy trunks of stone piers.

A vaulted ceiling is a beautiful architectural feature but its main role is that the inside of the church is protected when the roof burns down gothic cathedral vaulting seems an extraordinary achievement. The dome is a hemispherical structure that can serve as a roof. However it should be noted that prototypes for the pointed arches and ribbed vaulting were seen first in late romanesque buildings. Vault in building construction a structural member consisting of an arrangement of arches usually forming a ceiling or roof.

The basic barrel form which appeared first in ancient egypt and the middle east is in effect a continuous series of arches deep enough to cover a three dimensional. Gothic architecture replaced romanesque groin vaults with ribbed vaults to counteract complexities of construction and limitations that allowed it to only span square rooms. To put it simply until gothic builders revolutionized building design the weight of the roof vault fell entirely on the supporting walls.