Color photograph of a light skinned man wearing a shirt and dark blazer and smiling at the camera

John Ochsendorf

National Endowment for the Arts Rome Prize
31 agosto 2007–1 agosto 2008
Professione
Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Titolo del progetto
The Preservation of Masonry Vaulting in Rome
Descrizione del progetto

My Rome project aims to quantify the safety of masonry vaulting. Which historic vaults are most at risk of collapse in Italy today? No one can say at present. In Rome, I will develop new online analysis tools for masonry vaulting and apply these tools to two detailed case studies: the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. By working in the Vatican Library and in collaboration with Italian preservationists, I will identify pathologies, assessment methods, and repair strategies for masonry vaulting. This work will contribute to our historical understanding as well as the future preservation of masonry vaulted buildings in Italy and around the world.