Columns
The columns used in Chapel 8 can be combined in different ways to build cloisters, column halls, and similar constructions.
The main piece in this design is made of a cube with four pentagons attached to each of two opposite faces. The farthest vertices of these pentagons are joined with a ball and four rods forming a cross. This piece, placed vertically above the shaft of the columns is the capital, and placed horizontally it joins adjacent columns. The horizontal and vertical pieces form horseshoe arches.
These pieces can be attached directly to the shaft of the columns with eight or twelve rods, but the horizontal and vertical ones are attached to intermediate cuboctahedra, which are placed above the capitals.
Twelve columns and horseshoe arches, view 1
4576 pieces: 1112 balls, 2736 rods, 224 pentagons, 504 squares (24.01 kg)
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Twelve columns and horseshoe arches, view 2
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Twelve columns and horseshoe arches, view 3
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Theoretically, a second level of columns could be built on the upper faces of the cuboctahedra, aligned with the first level ones; a third level could be built on the second one, and so on. However, the structure of the capitals is not very strong, and they cannot withstand a big load.
Twelve columns and horseshoe arches, view 4
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If the lower pentagon structures of the capitals are removed, the horseshoe arches become semicircular arches. Otherwise, this construction is all similar to the previous one:
Nine columns and semicircular arches, view 1
2994 pieces: 753 balls, 1704 rods, 132 pentagons, 405 squares (15.62 kg)
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Nine columns and semicircular arches, view 2
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If we add full capitals on the second level, without intervening shafts, it results in a cubic structure with circular holes in its faces:
Cube on columns, 1
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Cube on columns, 2
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