The Hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris: Gothic Design and Geometrical Knowledge in the Twelfth Century

Abstract

The Hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris: Gothic Design and Geometrical Knowledge in the Twelfth Century analyzes how the layout of four plinths in the hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris reflects the state of mathematical knowledge at the time of the first construction phases of the cathedral in the early 1160s. During the first half of the twelfth century, building enterprise was paired with intellectual activity in Paris, where architects experimented with a new building style——Gothic——and scholars explained geometry in treatises. Stefaan Van Liefferinge reconstructs the mathematics used by the Gothic builders at Notre-Dame, notes its resemblance to the geometry of the Parisian scholars, and suggests that this similarity points to either the exchange of knowledge or a common origin.