A geometrical similarity pattern as an experimental model for Shapes in architectural heritage: a case study of the base of the Pillars in the cathedral of Seville and the church of Santiago in Jerez, Spain.

Abstract

This paper proposes a procedure for the search of a geometrical similarity pattern in architectural heritage by means of calculating probability indexes to support hypotheses initially endorsed by documentary sources. The buildings analyzed are the Cathedral of Seville and the Church of Santiago, in Jerez, Spain. The 3D models of their selected pillars are obtained by means of Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), Optical Scanning (OS) and photogrammetry through image-based modelling software (SFM-IBM). To this end, a procedure for the comparison of shapes is established. It is based on similarity statistics, the determination of homologous points and the agreement of characteristic sections. Here, two key aspects are considered: on the one hand, the metric standpoint; on the other hand, historical-graphical features of the 3D models: composition, techniques, styles, and historical-graphical documentary sources. Thus, putting aside the mere dimensional analysis, the sections are compared with graphical patterns and models of which the same authorship – stonemasons working in that age – is accurately known. As a result, the outcomes of this research reveal the geometrical similarity between the elements of the pillars of the Cathedral of Seville and the Church of Santiago.