Gustavino Vaults

The Gustavinos' tile vault technology can  be said to have revolutionized construction by allowing for impressive vaulted ceilings and staircases in public and private spaces across the United States.

Photograph taken from the Museum of the City of New York 

Photograph taken from the Museum of the City of New York 

While attending the SESAH (Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians) Conference this past fall in Charlotte, NC I heard an interesting presentation entitled The Guastavino Vaults at the University of Virginia: Failure, Forensics, Tradition and Technology. The session explored a fatal accident which occurred during the Rotunda reconstruction project and had long been attributed to the failure of the Gustavino vaults (one of the only recorded occurrences). The presenter conducted significant research into the event and was able to conclude that the failures should have been related to design and equipment flaws rather than the vaulting technology itself. To read a little more about the presentation check out the Construction History Society of America's Fall Newsletter or the Thomas Jefferson Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historian's blog.

If you're going to be in New York City between March 26th and September 7th stop by the Museum of the City of New York to see the exhibition Palaces for the People: Gustavino and and the Art of Structural Tile. The exhibition will highlight examples of Gustavino vaults throughout the New York region.

Finally if you just want to hear a little more on the history of the Gustavinos and their vaulting technology listen to this NPR Morning Edition Segment entitled How One Family Built America's Public Palaces.