Ad Quadratum
The Practical Application of Geometry in Medieval Architecture

The AVISTA studies in the history of science, technology and art series aims to promote cross-disciplinary objectives. This particular volume focuses on the medieval uses of geometry, with sacred architecture and designs providing a rich source of examples for study.

Practical geometry and how it might have been applied in the design of medieval architecture is the subject of this book. The 11 papers by the international team of contributors, together with the introduction by Eric Fernie, present an up-to-date look at the latest scholarship, covering an area from Carolingian Germany and Romanesque Italy to Crusader Cyprus and Gothic France. The applications of geometry and metrology are illustrated with figures largely generated by computer-assisted design (CAD) programs, using new technology to overcome the limitations of earlier analysis of plans. These papers aim to present the current state of thinking on the uses of geometry in medieval architecture. The volume should prove useful to historians of art, history and science of the Middle Ages.

Geometry on a Carolingian wall, Warren Sanderson
A proposal for constructing the plan and elevation of a Romanesque church using three measures, Marie-Therese Zenner
Measure and proportion in Romanesque architecture, James Addiss
A schematic plan for Norwich Cathedral, Nigel Hiscock
The plan of Saint-Quentin - pentagon and square in the genesis of high Gothic design, Ellen M. Shortell
The hand of the mind - the ground plan of Reims as a case study, Nancy Y. Wu
Reconciling the feet at Beauvais and Amiens Cathedrals, Stephen Murray
On the drawing board - plans of the Clermont Cathedral terrace, Michael T. Davis
Geometry studies - the blind tracery in the western chapels of Narbonne Cathedral, Vivian Paul
The Church of St. George of the Latins in Famagusta - a case study on medieval metrology and design techniques, Alpay Ozdural
Geometry and scenography in the late Gothic choir of Metz Cathedral, Robert Bork.