Learning from Stone Traditional Vaulted Systems for the Contemporary Project of Architecture

Proceedings of the First International Congress on Construction History, Madrid, 20th-24th January 2003, ed. S. Huerta, Madrid: I. Juan de Herrera, SEdHC, ETSAM, A. E. Benvenuto, COAM, F. Dragados, 2003. Learning from stone traditional vaulted systems for the contemporary project of architecture. The experimental construction site at the Ponton de la Oliva (Spain, 1851-1858): Survey of the small «boveda plana» of the Casa de Mina de Limpia, and reconstructive hypothesis for the Casa del Guarda flat-vault Eliana de Nichilo In thc latcst years there is a growing interest for the intrinsic qualities of traditional materiaIs and revaluation of the European tradition, culture and techniques (in terms of durability, performance, constructive natural materials (i.e. stone), and for the aesthetic quality, ete.) is self-evidently urgent, such as elaboration of a new rehabilitation strategy in the the elaboration of updated architeetural solutions for light of a sustainable management and preservation of stone vaulted systems. cultural heritage. A first attempt in this regard is represented by the In the European area, characterised by the model of a reinforced «tlat-vaulted» system, generaliscd use of load-bearing masonry systems specifically elaborated for the reconstruction of the with an organic character in traditional construction, Casa del Guarda covering system, at the the typological and constructive reform of traditional experimental construction site at the Pontón de la vaulted systems is a central question. The importance Oliva (Spain, 1851-58), that could also be regarded and cohesion of this cultural area, but also the as a remarkable example of a stereotomical extremely diffuse use of stone techniques, enables us application in hydraulics. In fifties it was substituted to propose their reintroduction into contemporary with a reinforced concrete roof. restoration and constructive practices. The projeet of the earth dam at the Pontón de la For many ycars the architectural research has be en Oliva at the beginning of the Canal Isabel TI (the dominated by the use of «new materials» and the channel which still provides water to the city of interest on vaulted systems (especially made in Madrid), retlects the social and productive situation stonc), has been relegated only in the direction of of the country during the last century. In Spain the historical studies and in that of surveys and long tradition of stone techniques, achieved in the reconstructive analysis. previous centuries and formalised in the Spanish The complcx examples of vaulted systems historical treatises, was utilised for solving the containcd in the historical treatises on stereotomy, probIcm of resisting the water pressure force by have been basically «ignored» in the architectural and means of a cut-stone masonry structure. engineering practice in favour of an exemplified and This well-established and long tradition is an reductive «modernist» formal repertory. important element for the comprehension of the In the next years, architects will be mainly formal and constructive characters of the interesting involved in a eomplex work of re-assessment and solutions realised within the site, such as the unique renovation of both historic landseapes and of the and original example of the «flat-vaulted» system at urban environments, and the recognition of the the «Casa de Mina de Limpia». 744 E. de Nichilo The analysis of the survey data of this dry- The project oI Canal Isabel TI was a political and assembled stone masonry flat-vault was the technologica] evento On the one hand the President oI preliminary condition for the elaboration of the the Government, Juan Bravo MuriJIo, strongly reconstructive hypothesis. promoted the realisation of a modern service for the The great problem before the «modern era of expanding city oI Madrid2 as a reply to the crescent concrete» was the use of no-tension material s (such as needs oI pure water for both domestic and industrial clay and mud or masonry) to face flexural out of purposes. On the other hand Spain did not lead the plane actions, to which these materials are not able to scientiIic and technological knowledge, developed in react appropriately. For this reason specific tectonic industriaJised countries in the same period, and the knots, solutions of contact surfaces among elements scientific and technological situation of the country and of chain and supporting elements had been was quite backward. elaborated and improved. The Government, then, decided to politically Therefore the paper intends to high]ights the support a project, which reflected and demonstrated tectonic principIes and the traditional syntax, and to the technical competence in public works already explain the complex passage from the geometrical achieved by Spanish technicians. model to the real model of the «tlat-vaulted» system, The redaction of such an important project was throughout the graphical one (which also involves a entrusted to engineers of the Cuerpo de caminos, that reflection on the updating of traditional stonecutting was the most prestigious technical institution of the methods, i.e. cad-cam processes). country.3 The engineers responsible of the project had a proved experience in previous public works, and in STONE TECHNIQUES FOR THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY particular in the construction oI canals, streets and TERRITORY'S INFRAsTRucTuREs: THE PROJECT OF ports in masonry: José Garela Otero, economic and THE CANAL ISABEL 11 optional Director oI the work, but also architect and inspector general of the the Cuerpo de caminos; On 16th July 1851 the Administrative Council' of Lucio del Va]]e Arana, Segundo director oI the Canal Canal Isabel II appointed four engineers of the Isabel II, architect and ingeniero jefe de segunda Cuerpo de caminos. canales y puertos for the clase (general Director of Obras Publicas Irom redaction of the executive project of the canal derived 1851); Juan de Ribera y Piferrer, ingeniero jefe de by the Lozoya river, that, in the following years, had segunda clase; Eugenio Barran A vignÓn, and to almost duplicate the water supply oI the city oI Constrantino Ardanaz ingenieros primeros. Madrid (Fig. ¡). AII oI them directed or participated to the redaction of many project for territory's infrastructures (retaining wa]]s, earth dams, bridges, ports, etc.) a]] over Spain (Va]encia, Sevilla, Madrid). Some of them had a]so a solid career as professors of the Esquela de Caminos Canales y Puertos: Garcia Otero taught Principios de Arquitectura civil y Dibujo (tercero curso); Lucio del Valle was firstly proIessor oI Geometria Descriptiva (primer curso) and later on of Geodesia; finally Juan de Ribera taught Arquitectura y Estereotomia (segundo curso) at the same school. The technology adopted was mainly cut-stone masonry, because oI their perIect knowledge oI stereotomy and oI its application to civil architecture Figure 1 Planos generales del Canal Idabel Il (1851). Archivo Central and public works.4 del Ministerio de Fomento. (supplied by J. J. Gonzales Reglero) Learning from stone traditional vaulted systems for the contcmporry project of architecture 745 THE EXPERIMENTAL CONSTRUCTION SITE engineers responsible for this section of the project. Al' THE PONTON DE LA OLIVA (1851-1858) The labour was composed of 2000 prisoners, and 1500 workers (stone-cutters) for the different The Ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone operation of the construction site. of the masonry dam took place at the Ponton de la The building yard of the dam includes some Oliva on II th August 1851. The earth dam, that outlying service buildings: the prison barracks, the corresponds to the first section of the Canal Isabel II, house of compuertas, the house of mina de limpia, would be inaugurated on 24th June 1858 (Fig. 2). covered with a flat-vault, the casa del guarda, the auxiliary buildings dedicated to iron-work, wood- work, stone work, mortar fabrication, and a brick DI: ~: ".\1\~L 1,"","". furnace. -"~--""""-~-"""-""" The stone employed for the construction of the dam and the annexed buildings was excavated in different quarries: the white stone of the dam derives from Redueña y Patones; the yellow limestone of the surrounding building s, canals, and inspection points, was obtained from quarries on the two margins of the river. The construction site at the Pontan de la Oliva could be regarded as an experimental and scientific «Iaboratory» of construction. Firstly expert stone- cutters had to train prisoners to the art of stone-work: soon after they became a qualified labour that had to be employed in the following public works all around Spain. Secondly it could be possible that the construction site had been visited by scholars during the summer, in order to study practical applications of stereothomy: this is probably the reason why the project presents some stereotomical «games», and peculiar vaulted masonry systems, such as that of the boveda plana (flat vault) at the Casa de Mina de Limpia. The masonry dam at the Pontan de la Oliva was an impressive work for the period (Fig. 3-4-5-6): it could contain 3.000.000 m' of water, and has a Figure 2 coroner 70m long, and 27 m high; the cross section Plan and Frontal view of the earth dam and its surroundings buildings (1851). Archivo Central del Ministerio de has a trapezium shape with the lower base of 51 m Fomento. (supplied by J. J. Gonzales Reglero) width and the top of 6.5m. For the dam' s construction the Administrative Council destined 4.174.659 reales.5 The site is 65 km away from Madrid, and is comprised in the administrative municipality of THE FLAT-VAULTS Al' THE CASA DE LIMPIA: Patones (province of Madrid) and Uceda (province of AESTHETIC QUALITY OF CISTERNS AND INSPECTION Guadalajara) on the North of the capital. POINTS' COVERINGS This terrific natural site was chosen in August 1851 as starting point of the Canal Isabel II, that in a few There great ability of the stone-cutters, who worked years would conduct the water of the Lozoya river to at the construction site, is proved not only by the Madrid.

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