The Aha effect’s emotional impact regarding the elegance of structural reciprocity was the inheritance that Gaudí, Torroja, Candela, and finally, Calatrava shared. More on this later.
The Nubian arch and vault represented the artist’s goal: reaching that moment of insight when visible and invisible elements come together to create a new understanding of the whole, known as a gestalt.
They noticed a unified design composed of a spatial system without any structural hierarchy.
Because the Nubian arch did not use a keystone at the top, each brick had to be placed carefully with just the right amount of friction. This created a gentle slope that allowed the vault to support itself, which was important for the inverted catenary curve.
The simple shape drew them in, showing how it could hold up the weight of its own materials without collapsing.
As they worked, the form encouraged a constructivist approach to learning, in which focus, reflection, and meditation shifted their awareness. They were not just creating a style, but building a physical expression of their thoughts and a vision of working together.
The 'over-arching' form symbolized reciprocity and served as a visual cue that influenced their thinking, aligning with the constructivist learning theory idea that 'learning exists in the mind.' Even though they were not aware of this theory, they felt its effects and expressed them in their art.
