K. Russnaik: The development of wide-span timber structures in the 19th century

The research project investigates the constructive development of 19th century timber structures in Switzerland. This period is characterized by the industrialisation and the rationalisation of the building industry. In the first half of the 19th century there was a shift in technological innovation from religious to secular buildings such as market halls, riding halls, industrial buildings, and railway buildings. These new building types were characterized by wide-spanned halls and visible roof structures. In addition, the new architectural forms of classicism led to low pitched roofs. Purlin roofs were built instead of the conventional rafter roofs and in the second half of the nineteenth century there is a turn towards a more engineering approach with trussed roofs and iron structures. The large variety of constructions is characteristic of this era. Although new building materials such as iron or reinforced concrete were increasingly used, wood remained an important and frequently used material in Switzerland. Initial investigations have shown that there is an exceptional corpus of very well-preserved timber structures from this period in Switzerland. In many European countries such structures were largely destroyed by the war. Many of these important historic structures are threatened by demolition.

While the development in the 19th century has been well researched from an architectural and art-historical point of view, there is a lack of research on the history of Swiss roof structures. This research is part of the larger project "Evolution of the wide-span timber roof in northern and central Switzerland 1600-1850" funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.

A broad picture of the development of timber structures in the 19th century is drawn by surveying various building types using the methods of building archaeology. Through archival research and the analysis of historical publications, the structures are contextualized. The findings will lead to a deeper understanding of the design and construction practices of the time and provide criteria for the for the preservation of historical monuments.