Star-Shaped Vaults Constructed Using Brickwork, Context and Analysis of An Architectural Type, and the Case of the Más Palace

This article presents the study of an architectural-constructive type located in Valencia: ribless brick vaults built with the “catalan” technique (one single brick plement approximately 5 cm thick). This is a very specific variant of the star-shaped vault, from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, of which we will examine a representative example: the vault that covers the entrance to the Mas Palace in Valencia. The methodology used is dual in nature: on the one hand, a historical study has been carried out to contextualize the typology, and on the other, a metric analysis of the Mas Palace vault has been carried out using laser scanning technology as a prominent tool. These two parts have finally been put into relationship, determining the formal correspondences that define the type, as well as the particularities of the built work. The main finding of the research is the consideration of this star-shaped vaults, not as a set of particular cases, but as a well-defined typology, which was widespread and successful in its context. We have also determined that its formal characteristics are not only due to aesthetic but also functional (stability and fire resistance) issues. This research, therefore, has allowed us to ponder the importance of a constructive solution that usually goes unnoticed and whose originality does not lie in the techniques used but in their original combination.