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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Cloisters and Gothic arches and windows...



The Chapel is going to be linked to the main house by a cloister, which will have open arches along the posterior face, opening out into the monsatic rose garden. Its front facade will match the Georgian Colonnade on the south wing (so that from the front of the house they look identical).


A cloister (from the latin claustrum - enclosed) is a covered walk with an open colonnade on one side, running between buildings facing onto a quad. In medieval times, cloisters were used for meditation or study gardens. The hortus conclusus or "enclosed garden" of medieval times featured a well at the center, from which four paths divided the garden into quadrants. We will have a fountain in the middle instead of a well.

The outside of our colonnade will resemble the cloisters above (an homage to Peter's time at Cambridge University, and a style which will fit in well with the Georgian architecture).

The inside will resemble the more monastic cloisters below. The idea is to create a cloistered garden between the Northern terrace and the Chapel, such as the example below, albeit smaller and more charming.



Other cloistered enclosures can be found at many of the older universities, such as Oxford...



and of course many religious communities as well...







To ensure that the arches tie in with the windows of the chapel, they will be designed to the same gothic proportions:






The cloisters will not be as grand or as ornate as some of the many more ancient ones...










Above: Me in the cloisters at Salisbury Cathedral 2002.

3 comments:

  1. I really like your ideas and style on these. And you always post such beautiful inspiration photos. Love the terrace plans, too.

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  2. The anticipation of seeing your project underway is killing me... I can't imagine what it must be like for you! These images take my breath away, such beauty.
    Angex

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  3. i love the arches... i took a wonderful shot in norwich cathedral where my father sang in the choir as a young man.

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