What is a continuous moulded pier?
A continuous moulded pier — in Dutch a profielzuil or kantzuil — is a pier or column in which the mouldings of the profiled vault arches run on downwards into the shaft. The mouldings of rib and transverse arch pass into the shaft without interruption: there is no capital to mark the transition. Support and vault therefore read visually as a single continuous whole.
The term is best known from Flemish and Dutch architectural literature, where it appears among others in Leo van Puyvelde’s Handwoordenboek voor de Bouwkunst en de Oudheidkunde.
Where it occurs
The form belongs to the Late Gothic. In Early and High Gothic each shaft of a compound pier still ends in its own small capital on which the rib lands. In the Late Gothic that capital disappears: the ribs run straight into the pier. The result is a flowing, unbroken line from the boss down to the base.
In hall churches and late Gothic town churches this is a frequently used motif, because it makes the interior read as taller and calmer.
Distinguished from related forms
| Form | Characteristic |
|---|---|
| Continuous moulded pier | Vault mouldings run into the shaft without a capital |
| Compound pier | Several shafts bundled together, normally with a capital to each shaft |
| Column | Round, usually with base, shaft and capital |
| Pier | Massive, angular support |
Points to watch in restoration
- Continuous mouldings are hard to piece in. A damaged section has to match over the whole length of the profile; take a counter-template of the existing profile before removing any material.
- The springing is the weak point. Exactly where the rib meets the shaft the section is at its thinnest; that is where cracking first shows under settlement.
- Clean conservatively. The relief of the mouldings carries the whole effect; aggressive abrasive cleaning rounds off the sharp arrises, and that is irreversible.
- Record the profile with a contour gauge or a laser scan before any work starts.
Related terms
- Column
- Compound pier
- Pier
- Vault rib
- Gothic
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