Studies for a Ribbed Dome and Its Drum
A buttressed drum with internal stairs, a ribbed vault cutaway, and a semicircular arch
The leaf gathers construction studies for a large dome. At the top a low drum is drawn as if under construction, its exterior broken by radiating buttress strips and internal ramps or stairways climbing toward a small crowning lantern. Below it a cutaway shows the interior of a ribbed vault, with curved ribs springing over arched openings around a central pier. A semicircular arch with a horizontal springing line and a central element is sketched at the foot of the page. Short mirror-written labels accompany the drawings; this text is not in the bundle and is not transcribed here.
On this page
Drum with radiating buttresses and stairs
The upper drawing shows a broad, low drum crowned by a small domed lantern. Its shell is divided into radiating panels by buttress strips, with stepped ramps or stairways set between them climbing the exterior.
Cutaway of a ribbed vault
The middle study cuts the dome open to reveal its structure: curved ribs sweep up from a central pier over a ring of arched cells. It examines how the vault's ribs and infill are built up around the supporting core.
Semicircular arch with central load
At the foot of the page a half-round arch is drawn on a horizontal springing line, with a small element marked at its crown. The diagram reads as a study of the arch and the thrust it must carry.