A Hexagonal Pattern in the Paraninfo at the Universidad de Alcala

In the sixteenth century, the assembly hall, or Paraninfo, at the recently inaugurated Universidad de Alcala was known as the pieca del theatro. This study focuses on the layouts and proportions designed for this hall, which could be the key to understanding the whole project as a Renaissance theater that was singularly inspired by Roman models. Specifically, the hexagonal pattern of the coffered ceiling represents a genuine formal exploration in comparison with other wooden ceilings having similar geometric bases. All this led us to study this uncommon masterpiece as a proposal for a new model toward an intellectual and architectural recovery of the Antiquity, in the core of the Universidad, conceived for the representation of academic ceremonies and humanistic theater.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the layout and proportions of the assembly hall at Universidad de Alcala in the 16th century, and identifies it as a Renaissance theater inspired by Roman models. The hexagonal pattern of the coffered ceiling represents a unique formal exploration. This uncommon masterpiece can be seen as a proposal for the recovery of classical intellect and architecture.