Late 18th-century innovation: The first Mediterranean purlin roof truss in German-speaking Switzerland at Embrach ZH

Abstract

Swiss architect David Vogel (1744–1808) enjoyed a thorough theoretical training compared to his compatriots. His most important commission after his education was the transversely oriented “oval” reformed church at Embrach ZH (1779–80). Vogel’s designs show distinct Italian influences from three years of studies with Winckelmann in Rome in the 1760s. He integrated these ideas into the designs for the church at Embrach, where both the architectural layout and the construction were innovative for the German-speaking part of Switzerland, including the comparatively flat roof pitch with a Mediterranean roof truss. This paper focuses on the preserved construction, which adapts the Italian standard to local conditions. The roof structure at Embrach is pioneering since the type of roof truss employed was later generally adopted in the 19th century throughout the German-speaking world for constructions with a lower roof pitch.