Structural Design for Architecture
Fig. 5.1 Cathedrale
Ste-Cecile, Albi, France,
13th century. This
building, which has the
widest vaulted nave of
all the French Gothic
cathedrals (18 m span),
is constructed of brick-
work masonry and
demonstrates the scale
and complexity of archi-
tectural form which is
possible in this
material. [Photo: A.
Macdonald]
148
Vaulted Halls
Vaulted hall is the generic term for a type of
building which consists of a large interior
space constructed entirely of masonry; a
space, in other words, which is roofed by a
masonry vault supported on masonry walls.
This group of structures encompasses some
of the largest and most spectacular of
masonry buildings, including the large basili-
cas and bath houses of Imperial Rome and
the Gothic cathedrals of medieval Europe
(Fig. 5.1).
Where a large enclosure is made entirely of
masonry the use of a compressive form-active
