Paul Smit  Mick Palarczyk | Features, Photos and TextTwo faces, one philosophy |
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FEATURE (Category: Europe | Germany | winter | cultural-historical | scenic drives)
Germany, Sachsen (Saxony): Around Dresden
Germany, Sachsen (Saxony): Around Dresden
This feature is an exploration of the area around Saxony's capital, including the Dresden/Elbe Valley UNESCO world heritage site (please read excerpts of the article). That is a stretch of castles and palaces along the river, including the restored heart of Dresden itself. The trip starts in porcelain city Meissen and sheds light on two inventions, both done in the Albrechtsburg castle: porcelain and the ribless cellular vault. The scenic drive ends in Zittau, near the spot where Germany, Poland and Czechia meet, with a touching story about Zittau's famous Lent Cloth. On the way we visit walled Bautzen, meet artist Franz Gruss and his dinosaurs and hike in the Elbsandsteingebirge with its table mountains and national park.
[GERMANY.SACHSEN 7295]
'Vaults like origami.'
Ribless cellular vaults cover the halls of the Albrechtsburg in Meißen. In 1525 architect Arnold von Westfalen had nearly completed the construction of the castle. In the final stage he got the brilliant idea to leave out the ribs that the arches usually were anchored on. The vaults were to be self-supporting. This enabled faster building if the masons were very experienced. The result was a web of cell-vaults, unfolding in different patterns in each hall and looking like Japanese origami, elegant and seemingly weightless. Photo Paul Smit. ![Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.SACHSEN 7295] 'Vaults like origami.' Ribless cellular vaults cover the halls of the Albrechtsburg in Meißen. In 1525 architect Arnold von Westfalen had nearly completed the construction of the castle. In the final stage he got the brilliant idea to leave out the ribs that the arches usually were anchored on. The vaults were to be self-supporting. This enabled faster building if the masons were very experienced. The result was a web of cell-vaults, unfolding in different patterns in each hall and looking like Japanese origami, elegant and seemingly weightless. Photo Paul Smit.](http://paulsmit.smugmug.com/photos/16116358_v6HL5-O.jpg "Smit & Palarczyk > [GERMANY.SACHSEN 7295] 'Vaults like origami.' Ribless cellular vaults cover the halls of the Albrechtsburg in Meißen. In 1525 architect Arnold von Westfalen had nearly completed the construction of the castle. In the final stage he got the brilliant idea to leave out the ribs that the arches usually were anchored on. The vaults were to be self-supporting. This enabled faster building if the masons were very experienced. The result was a web of cell-vaults, unfolding in different patterns in each hall and looking like Japanese origami, elegant and seemingly weightless. Photo Paul Smit.")
[GERMANY.SACHSEN 7295]
'Vaults like origami.'
Ribless cellular vaults cover the halls of the Albrechtsburg in Meißen. In 1525 architect Arnold von Westfalen had nearly completed the construction of the castle. In the final stage he got the brilliant idea to leave out the ribs that the arches usually were anchored on. The vaults were to be self-supporting. This enabled faster building if the masons were very experienced. The result was a web of cell-vaults, unfolding in different patterns in each hall and looking like Japanese origami, elegant and seemingly weightless. Photo Paul Smit.All rights reserved. No permission for reproduction, including copying or saving of digital image files or text, is granted without prior written authorisation from the author.
