Architectures of interconnection: Medieval innovation and digital memory

The Lonja de la Seda in Valencia is one of the most significant examples of late Gothic civic architecture in the Mediterranean region. The complex was built between 1482 and 1498 and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. The building reflects the economic, institutional, and cultural context of late medieval trade in the Crown of Aragon. This paper analyses the Lonja as an interconnected architectural system in which structure, geometry, symbolism, and civic function are closely related. The research focuses on the Sala de Contratación, the main hall of the complex and its structural and symbolic core. The space is organized through a regular structural grid formed by helicoidal columns and a network of ribbed star vaults that operate as an integrated load-bearing system. The study develops an architectural and stratigraphic analysis of the hall to understand the relationship between the original construction, the decorative program, and later transformations of the building. The research examines the structural logic of the vault system, the characteristics of the construction materials, and the historical modifications documented through restoration campaigns. Special attention is given to the original painted starry ceiling that once covered the vaults of the Sala de Contratación and was removed during restoration works carried out between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although the decoration no longer survives, it is documented through archival sources, historical descriptions, and research studies. The analysis of this lost layer provides an important case for understanding how architectural meaning and cultural values can persist beyond the physical preservation of the monument. Based on this investigation, the paper discusses the potential use of digital infrastructures for the documentation of architectural heritage. It explores how blockchain-based systems may support the traceability of heritage information, including survey data, archival documentation, conservation records, and digital reconstructions. The results suggest that the Lonja can be interpreted as a stratified architectural system and as a repository of historical knowledge. However, the proposed digital framework remains theoretical and requires further development and testing within real heritage documentation workflows.