The Geometry of Bourges Cathedral

A groundbreaking geometrical analysis of Bourges Cathedral reveals that its original designer employed a tightly interlocking, five-fold subdivision in the chevet ground plan. This design, vertically extruded into the elevation, exhibits striking coherence, fitting both within squares and progressively smaller equilateral triangles. The study, leveraging high-precision laser survey data and computer-aided design (CAD) techniques, provides new evidence for the geometrical unity of Gothic cathedral architecture and advances the debate on 'ad quadratum' and 'ad triangulum' geometries. This methodology also underscores the potential of CAD-based analysis in studying precisely surveyed medieval buildings.

Bork, R. (2014). The Geometry of Bourges Cathedral. Architectural Histories, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/ah.bz