Dream Ceilings: Groin Vaults Inspire Overarching Awe

For very good reasons, architects and builders have been creating vaulted ceilings for millennia. It all starts with the desire to cover a room. In smaller rooms a flat ceiling is easily and inexpensively constructed. But in a large room or series of rooms, a flat ceiling has many limitations. So domes and vaults were devised that could span the distances between walls and create wonderful and spacious rooms to gather in.

When two curved vaults merge. There are several types of vaulting systems. The simplest vaults are the two linear systems: the simple V-shape vault, which takes on the shape of a gable roof, and the barrel vault, which takes on a curved, half-pipe shape to span between walls. Both emphasize the rectangular proportions of a room and imply that the space can just keep going.

The groin vault is nothing more than two barrel vaults laid perpendicular to each other. Unlike a barrel vault, which relies on two walls for support, a groin vault relies on four corners for support. Arching gently or in a steeper, more pointed fashion, the four ribs (or arrises) help to define and control the space, creating a focal point at the center of each vault.

Creating an inward focus. When used to cover a single room, a groin vault creates a strong visual center. The ribs springing up from the walls and then intersecting at the top have the effect of creating a space that is very inwardly focused, even when there are large expanses of glass that allow outward views.

While groin vaults aren't very common, especially in residential design, they are wonderful ways of covering a room or series of rooms. I tend to think of the design effect as each room's being covered and formed by a tent structure. The overall lightness and tensile quality of the groin vault make it seem much like a sheet of fabric stretched over a frame. The effect can be astonishing, given that these vaults are traditionally made of stone and other masonry.


A joyful lightness. When groin vaults are used in succession — say, as the ceiling over a linear circulation space — the arrises create a joyful rhythmic pattern. Each individual groin vault also creates a place for a large expanse of glass that allows an abundance of natural light into the space.


A groin vault is also a nice way of layering the space of a room. By providing a strong, central focus and the potential of arched openings at each of the four sides, it can enable the creation of alcoves, niches, recesses and the like that can be wonderful spaces along the periphery.


While groin vaults tend to have a more traditional architectural appeal, they can be quite successfully used for a contemporary aesthetic. Modern, machine-made furniture and accessories find themselves comfortably at home in an older building where we see the stone-by-cut-stone construction of a groin vault.

Next: More ways to add interest overhead

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