The Geometry of a Domed Architecture: A Stately Example of Kārbandi at Bagh-e Dolat Abad in Yazd

Abstract

This paper analyses the kārbandi of the Hashti pavilion at Bagh-e-Dolat Abad in Yazd. Kārbandi is a spatial system obtained through the projection of a star-shaped drawing onto a curved surface. It is characterised by a complex use of geometry and repetitive symmetry. The analysis of its geometrical aspects contributes to an understanding of the traditional rules underlying the original design. The kārbandi of the octagonal vestibule of the Hashti pavilion consists of a complex roof system that completes the octagonal volume of the room below; its intrados presents a pattern of interlocking ribbed arches. The paper also looks at the drawings, module and proportions of the Hashti pavilion, with the exclusive purpose of providing a key to reading geometries that, while complex in appearance can, in reality, be traced using a simple ruler and compass.