What is a vaulting shaft?
A vaulting shaft, also called a wall shaft (Dutch: schalk, German: Dienst), is a slender column that does not stand free in the space but is attached to a load-bearing element: a pier, a column or a wall. It is usually a quarter, half or three-quarter column, projecting only partly from the wall surface. Like a colonnette, it is thin and tall and often has its own small base and capital.
In Gothic churches a vaulting shaft often continues upward into the ribs of the vault. The shaft forms the vertical start of the rib and visibly carries part of the vault’s thrust down to the floor. Over time the term has also been used for supports of vault ribs that are not strictly vertical.
Shafts also appear in groups. A pier surrounded by several shafts is called a clustered pier (or compound pier); each individual shaft then follows its own rib or transverse arch.
Application
Vaulting shafts are found mainly in Romanesque and Gothic churches, cloisters and chapter houses. They serve two purposes:
- Architectural: they emphasise verticality and make the structure of the vault readable from the floor.
- Structural: they guide the forces from the vault ribs toward the pier or wall, although the main load is usually carried by the pier itself.
When restoring historic interiors, note that shafts are sometimes made of a different stone from the pier to create contrast (Purbeck marble shafts in English Gothic are a well-known example). Repairs should use matching natural stone and be agreed with the heritage authority.
Related Terms
- Colonnette
- Column
- Pier
- Vault rib
- Clustered column
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