{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.tetraconch","code":"thing-q1471176","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q1471176/","name":"Tetraconch","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.3","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A centralised building plan in which four apses or semicircular exedrae radiate from a central square or circular space, giving a four-lobed form, used in late antique and early medieval architecture for churches, martyria and baptisteries in Armenia, Georgia, Syria, Italy and elsewhere, with variants such as the double-shell tetraconch with an inner colonnade, and later revived in Renaissance and Baroque centralised designs.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the tetraconch plan and its variants, relay history, examples and structural logic from architectural history sources, describe regional traditions, and distinguish tetraconch from triconch, cross-in-square and other centralised plans.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Four apses","Central space","Single or double shell","Late antique origin"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a tetraconch is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a tetraconch plan, and how does it differ from triconch, cross-in-square and rotunda plans?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about the plan type, a variant or a specific building?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"variants","name":"Variants","description":"Variants.","findings":[{"id":"variants-finding","name":"Variants","description":"Variants.","questions":[{"text":"How do simple and double-shell tetraconchs differ, and how are domes supported?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific variant?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"history","name":"History","description":"History.","layers":[{"id":"origins","name":"Origins","description":"Origins.","findings":[{"id":"origins-finding","name":"Origins","description":"Origins.","questions":[{"text":"Where and when did the tetraconch arise, and what debates exist about its origin, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"regions","name":"Regions","description":"Regional traditions.","findings":[{"id":"regions-finding","name":"Regions","description":"Regions.","questions":[{"text":"How did Armenia, Georgia, Syria and Italy develop tetraconch churches?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"examples","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","layers":[{"id":"buildings","name":"Buildings","description":"Notable buildings.","findings":[{"id":"buildings-finding","name":"Buildings","description":"Buildings.","questions":[{"text":"What are notable tetraconchs, such as Zvartnots, Jvari, San Lorenzo in Milan and Bosra?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific building?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"revivals","name":"Revivals","description":"Later revivals.","findings":[{"id":"revivals-finding","name":"Revivals","description":"Revivals.","questions":[{"text":"How did Renaissance and later architects revive centralised four-apsed plans?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits centrally planned church?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Meaning and study.","layers":[{"id":"meaning","name":"Meaning","description":"Symbolism.","findings":[{"id":"meaning-finding","name":"Meaning","description":"Meaning.","questions":[{"text":"What symbolic and liturgical meanings have been attached to the tetraconch, with interpretations attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation attributed?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"study","name":"Study","description":"Study.","findings":[{"id":"study-finding","name":"Study","description":"Study.","questions":[{"text":"How do archaeologists and architectural historians study and reconstruct tetraconchs?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits architectural history?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the tetraconch plan and its examples from architectural sources.","Note where the origin and attribution of the form are contested."],"mustNot":["Confuse tetraconchs with triconchs or cross-in-square plans.","Present contested national claims to the form as settled.","Encourage climbing or damaging fragile ruins."],"requiresHuman":["Restoring or reconstructing a historic tetraconch building."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Historic churches and ruins are heritage held by communities and states.","Attribution of origin is entangled with national pride."],"affectedParties":["Heritage sites","Religious communities","Scholars"]},"owners":{"steward":"The owner of each building, often a church or state heritage body.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["Heritage and monument registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q190249","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"centralized building","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"Zvartnots Cathedral","type":"related","note":"a double-shell tetraconch"},{"target":"triconch","type":"related","note":"a three-apsed plan"},{"target":"Armenian church architecture","type":"related","note":"and Georgian architecture"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.tetraconch","Wikidata: Q1471176 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1471176)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["early examples: 4th-7th centuries period","Zvartnots: 7th century period - Armenia, double-shell","San Lorenzo, Milan: 4th century period - double-shell tetraconch"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Four-apsed centralised plan","Simple and double-shell tetraconchs, Armenian and Georgian tetraconch churches","A triconch has three apses; a cross-in-square is a Byzantine plan; a rotunda is round","A four-lobed building with apses on each side of a central space."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the plan and variants","relay history and examples","describe regional traditions","distinguish related plans"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing tetraconch with triconch or cross-in-square","Structural vulnerability of domes, as at Zvartnots","Contested attributions of origin"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Heritage protection including UNESCO listings such as Zvartnots and Jvari","No design regulation"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["A centralised plan for churches and other buildings.","simple tetraconchs","double-shell or aisled tetraconchs such as Zvartnots and San Lorenzo","Armenian and Georgian tetraconch churches such as Jvari","Syrian and Mesopotamian tetraconchs","Renaissance and Baroque centralised revivals"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q1471176: Tetraconch","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1471176","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Tetraconch","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetraconch","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should double-shell tetraconch and Zvartnots be separate primary entries?","How should architectural history sources be linked?","How should regional traditions be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q1471176/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q1471176/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T06:25:25Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}