The Pavilions at the Alhambra’s Court of the Lions: Graphic Analysis of Muqarnas

Antonio Gámiz-Gordo, Ignacio Ferrer-Pérez-Blanco and Juan Francisco Reinoso-Gordo
Additional contact information
Antonio Gámiz-Gordo: Architectural Expression Graphic Department, University of Seville, 41012 Seville, Spain
Ignacio Ferrer-Pérez-Blanco: Laboratory of Digital Culture for Architectural Projects, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
Juan Francisco Reinoso-Gordo: Architectural and Engineering Graphic Expression Department, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: This research documents and graphically analyzes the pavilions muqarnas at the Court of the Lions in the Alhambra in Granada, a World Heritage Site. In order to cast some light on the understanding and preservation of these 14th century architectural elements, after a brief report of historical data on catastrophes and restorations, a novel methodology for the case study based on three complementary graphic analyses is presented here: First, there is a review of outstanding images ranging from the 17th to the 20th centuries; subsequently, new CAD (computer-aided design) drawings from pavilions muqarnas testing the theoretic principles from their geometric grouping are accomplished for the first time; and finally, a 3D laser scanner is used to understand the precise present-day state from the point cloud obtained. Comparing drawings allows us to assess the muqarnas relevance while proving, for the first time, that the muqarnas of both pavilions have distinct configurations and different amounts of pieces. Besides, this process reveals geometric deformations existing in the original Nasrid muqarnas compositions, identifying small pieces hitherto unknown, plus additional deformations resulting from adjustments after important threats that both pavilions and their muqarnas overcame for centuries, despite their fragile construction.

Keywords: muqarnas; Alhambra; graphic analysis; drawings; 3D laser scanner; historical images; cultural heritage; UNESCO; Spain (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6556/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6556/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:16:p:6556-:d:398521

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().