The multiple arches, fanning out in every direction, and dividing into sub-arches, are a marvel of architecture, engineering, and stone cutting.
If you’ve ever worked with stone, you know how unwieldy it is. A single cubic foot weighs 150-180 pounds. So a relatively small carved stone, 1′ x 1′ x 2′ (the size of a grocery bag), would be 300 pounds. (150 kilos.) Total pain in the ass to move and maneuver into place.
Stone also likes to absorb water, which makes it heavier.
It was built in only 8 years, between 1245 and 1253. To think that thousands of these stones were carved with such precision, and moved into place, back in 1253, and that it’s still standing…
As a point of comparison, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. was damaged by an earthquake in 2011. It took years to carve handful of replacement stones, because it’s a rare skill right now. It still hasn’t been repaired fully as of 2020, and the repairs cost $25 million.
sentosa92says
Those chapter houses with vaults organized around a central pillar are really typical of the gothic Art in the United Kingdom. I love this. It looks like a fancy stone palm tree.
In my country, France , we don’t have any example of that feature in our gothic abbeys and cathedrals.
Vaults are usually much higher but simpler.
sentosa92says
Could you please share the source of the picture ?
IfThenZow says
The multiple arches, fanning out in every direction, and dividing into sub-arches, are a marvel of architecture, engineering, and stone cutting.
If you’ve ever worked with stone, you know how unwieldy it is. A single cubic foot weighs 150-180 pounds. So a relatively small carved stone, 1′ x 1′ x 2′ (the size of a grocery bag), would be 300 pounds. (150 kilos.) Total pain in the ass to move and maneuver into place.
Stone also likes to absorb water, which makes it heavier.
It was built in only 8 years, between 1245 and 1253. To think that thousands of these stones were carved with such precision, and moved into place, back in 1253, and that it’s still standing…
As a point of comparison, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. was damaged by an earthquake in 2011. It took years to carve handful of replacement stones, because it’s a rare skill right now. It still hasn’t been repaired fully as of 2020, and the repairs cost $25 million.
sentosa92 says
Those chapter houses with vaults organized around a central pillar are really typical of the gothic Art in the United Kingdom. I love this. It looks like a fancy stone palm tree.
In my country, France , we don’t have any example of that feature in our gothic abbeys and cathedrals.
Vaults are usually much higher but simpler.
sentosa92 says
Could you please share the source of the picture ?
satorsatyr says
This is the definition of this sub