Between Reinterpretation and Experimentation. The Evolution of Hollow-Clay-Pot Vaulting in Paris (18th–19th century)

This paper provides an overview of the use of hollow-clay-pot vaults in Paris in the late 18th century and the first half of the 19th century. Starting with a description of the pots’ artisanal production, the main construction methods of vaults and vaulted ceilings are then presented. Finally, some emblematic interventions using hollow clay pots – both in new buildings and in the restoration of existing ones – are described, grouped into three macro periods: a) the end of the 18th century, b) the 1810s to the 1830s, and c) the 1840s and beyond. The presentation concludes with a reflection on the transition between handmade pots (poteries creuses) and bricks (briques creuses), whose mass production was sanctioned by the Borie patent in the 1840s.