Stacked niches can help a square room meet a round dome — ChillScroll

Blue and cream muqarnas niches joining square arches to a round dome

Stacked niches can help a square room meet a round dome

A squinch bridges each upper corner of a square room so it can support a dome. Builders developed muqarnas by stacking many small squinch-like forms into an intricate transition of tiers and curves.

The ceiling solves a geometry problem with a honeycomb.

Source · Smarthistory ↗