Caisson (architecture)

The emergence of caissons as an architectural element of buildings and structures is associated with the design features of the simplest rack-and-beam construction system. At the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse wooden beams of a flat ceiling, rectangular depressions formed. The ancient Greeks called such constructive recesses of kalimmatia or kalimma (from Egypt. Kalymmatos "cover, cover").

With the development of artistic functions in architecture, the indentations between the beams began to be decorated . In ancient Egypt they were covered with terracotta tiles . The ancient Greeks used terracotta or marble tiles for this. Later, the caissons were decorated with stucco molding and painting.

In ancient Roman architecture that imitated the ancient Greek post-beam structure in stone or concrete, recesses of various shapes in stone vaults, domes, arches acquired their own practical significance: they made it possible to reduce the massiveness of the ceilings without reducing their bearing capacity. ^[1] In the Renaissance, coffered ceilings were made of wood or stone and were often used as an element of the decoration of the interiors of palaces. In Italy , during the Renaissance, artists painted caissons with subjects, usually on mythological themes .

In modern architecture, caissons can both have a purely aesthetic value, and combine structural and decorative functions, and can also be used to improve the acoustics of the room, create various visual effects (for example, visually increase the height of the ceiling or arch), and serve as niches for installing fixtures.

• Vaults and their decor A. V. Kuznetsov