Diamond Vaults : Innovation and Geometry in Medieval Architecture

The diamond vaults of Central Europe are among the most original yet little-known creations of medieval architecture: ceilings so complex that, as their name suggests, they recall the facets of a cut gemstone. First appearing in 1471 at the palace of Albrechtsburg in Meissen, Germany, they were employed for almost a century in locations as far part as Gdansk on the Baltic to Bechyne in southern Bohemia (today's Czech Republic).