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September 15, 2005
Soaring vaulting
Going through my pictures from Germany, I felt I had to share this breathtaking view of the nave of Köln Dom (Cathedral). The nave organ is suspended around 100 feet above the floor from the vaulting and is accessed from the clerestory walkway - itself around 100 feet above the floor. That should give a reasonable idea of just how high that vaulted roof is!
Looking East down the nave of Köln Cathedral nave.
These huge and impressive structures soar upwards on a narrow floor plan, their pillared archways supporting incredible loads. While the nave itself is narrow, the overall width is increased by the double aisle on each side, each aisle being as wide as the nave itself, and the doubling increases the overall width of the building to around five times the width of the nave.
Outside the central lantern reaches for the sky and is balanced by the twin spires of the West End.
And it was all built without the aid of modern machinery. A triumph of human endeavour and a stunning tribute to the God we worship.
Posted by The Gray Monk at September 15, 2005 06:09 PM
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Comments
Wonderful picture. It makes one feel insignificant with that kind of vaulting... and the pipe organ, wow!
Posted by: Ethne at September 24, 2005 03:11 PM