O Capítulo Incompleto de Tomar: Ferramentas digitais ao serviço da reconstituição arquitetónica da abóbada desaparecida

Abstract

The main objective of this dissertation is the digital reconstruction of the vanished vault of the Chapter House of the Clerics in the Incomplete Chapter House, part of the monumental complex of the Convent of Christ in Tomar. This study aims to align academic research with the real and complex challenge presented by the architectural structure, represented by the disappearance of the vault from the lower floor of the building. The Incomplete Chapter House, dated 1521 and designed by João de Castilho at the request of D. Manuel, was intended to house the chapters of the members of the Order of Christ. With a room for the clerical chapter on the lower floor and another for the knights on the upper floor, the latter was never completed, leading to the abandonment of the building. Over time, the vault of the lower chapter room almost entirely collapsed. Based on an architectural survey conducted using various techniques, with laser scanning being the most prominent, this research aims to produce an accurate representation of the current state of the building. The importance of historical records, though scarce, is emphasized as they are crucial in interpreting the architectural remains, supported by some examples of sixteenth-century vaults and chapter houses from the period. The subsequent phase involves the reconstruction based on the interpretation of the geometry of the remaining architectural elements and historical evidence, using three-dimensional digital drawing methods. The result is a virtual model of the lower floor of the Chapter House, where its vault, largely forgotten in the history of the monumental Convent of Christ in Tomar, is now restored, providing a new perspective on that conventual space.