Santa Maria del Fiore

Santa Maria Della Fiore Cathedral

Dome represented the begining of the Renaissance

Location: Florence, Italy

Construction began 1296

Architectural Type: Church

Style: Gothic and Renaissance

Architecture

Built as a basilica
Wide central nave of four square bays with an aisle on eiter side
Chancel and transepts are identical polygonal plan
- Separated by two smaller polygonal chapels
Whole plan forms a Latin cross
Nave and aisles are separated by wide pointed Gothic arches resting on composite piers

Dimensions

Dome

Material: Brick
The structure was domeless for 50 years since it was difficult to design t
Filippo Brunelleschi designed a dome without any centering to support the masonry
Four major challenges:
- Building the dome on top of 30 foot high cupola (tower)
  - Cupola vulnerable to instability by lateral thrust
- Dome was octogonal plan
- Building a heavy stone lantern
- Managing to build the dome which is 170 feet above without any temporary wooden centering
Solutions:
- Brunelleschi's tall profile generated less thrust and so more stability under load
- Two thin shells tied them together with a grid of 24 ribs in meridional direction
  - Additional horizontal nine ribs were arched
- To counter lateral thrust and hoop stress: the dome was encircled with four chains
  - Three made of stone : low tensile strength
  - One made of timber

Herringbone Pattern

As the dome grew taller the surface inclined and bricks moved inward
The wet mortar caused the bricks to slide off
To prevent the sliding Brunelleschi invented the Herringbone pattern
- Vertical elements projected at the end of each horizontal layer of brick
- So the projections were angled so the next course of horizontal bricks would be wedged in place and wouldn't fall in place

History of Building and Construction