Explore HiSTAuRy at Venice Biennale

The installation showcases how augmented reality can facilitate the revival and expansion of traditional masonry techniques. This interactive exhibit highlights how simplicity and complexity go hand in hand in masonry shells.

Masonry shells are constructed using simple and relatively small blocks (brick or stone), yet they can achieve great spans and describe complex shapes. They have been offering an efficient alternative to post-and-beam systems for millennia. Unlike beams, which work in bending, masonry arches and vaults primarily carry their loads via compression, allowing the adoption of inexpensive and sustainable materials. The way loads are carried down to the supports in an arch—or similarly in a vault—can be visualized by the so-called thrust line, which must be contained within the thickness of the arch to achieve structural stability.

The fact that geometry was at the base of the structural state was well known to ancient builders, who designed magnificent shells based on geometrical proportions. Nowadays, the rediscovery of the thrust line under the light of new theories is opening new applications for masonry shells. Thus, the geometry of a masonry arch or vault matters. However, their construction traditionally requires formwork, centering, and scaffolding.

Across cultures and throughout history, civilizations have consistently pursued efficiency and economy in construction. In doing so, builders developed techniques that allowed arches and vaults to be constructed without formwork or scaffolding. Such techniques are identified by the term: SCAFFOLD-FREE. Scaffold-free construction can deliver significant material savings, but it requires highly skilled labor, which is disappearing.