Gothic Architecture

• Progressive lightening and heightening of structure


  • Made possible by flying buttress
• Gothic architecture


  • Use of pointed arch and ribbed vault
  • Richly decorated fenestration
• "STYLE OGIVALE"


  Progressive lightning and heightening
• "OPUS MODERNUM"


  The modern style
• Gothic architecture lasted until the 16th century
• Gothic phases

  • Early
  • High
  • Late
• Divisions in English architecture

  • Early English
  • Decorated
  • Perpendicular
• Gothic grew out of the Romanesque architectural style
• "GOTHIC"


  Originated as a means of belittling by critics who criticised the lack of adherence to the standards of classical Greece and Rome
• 14th century men referred to Gothic Cathedrals as

  "OPUS MODERNUM" (modern work)
• Gothic city was a representation of the unifying of secular and religious ideals
• Gothic architecture stands out by its use of brick and marble rather than stone of other nations
• LATE GOTHIC PERIOD (15th Century) would reach its peak in Germany with its magnificent vaulted hall churches
• GOTHIC


  May be referred to as a period of art, architecture, and/or people
• GOTHIC (relating to people)

  Relating to, or resembling the Goths, their civilization, or their language
• GOTHIC (relating to architecture)

  Relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in northern France and spread through western Europe from the middle of 12th century
• Roman empire crumbled in 476 C.E, that's why Germanic tribes called the Goths absorbed what was left of the former empire
• Manorial system was the basis for the later creation of Mediaeval and feudal society
• To protect manors from each other, they built large, strong castles, which gave rise to gothic architecture, named after the BARBARIC TRIBES
• Development of Gothic Architecture

  • Early Gothic (1150-1250)
  • High Gothic (1250-1375)
  • Late Gothic (1375-145)
• Early Gothic (1150-1250)


  • Cradle of Gothic Architecture
  • Royal Abbey of Sr. Denis set a precedent with its crown of chapels, radiant with stained glass windows
  • Gothic style can be attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux and Abbot Suger
• Early Gothic


  • Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
  • Laon Cathedral, Laon, France
• High Gothic (1250-1375)


  • The organic, "FLOWING" quality of the High Gothic interior was enhanced by the decompartmentalization
  • The new High Gothic tripartite nave elevation featured an arcade, triforium, and large clerestory windows
  • Mark of the High Gothic style is the use of the "flying buttresses"
  • Rayonnant Style was one of the most radiant in art history
  • The stained glass filters light and imbues the interior with an unearthly radiant atmosphere
• Late Gothic (1375-1450)


  • Late Gothic was essentially a reaction to the Early and High Gothic styles, and hence, the destruction of the unity of Christendom
  • The key characteristic of the Late Gothic style was the S-curve, or the curving savvy
• Gothic revival


  A return to Gothic architectural building styles during the 18th and 19th centuries
• Gothic revival in the US

  • St. Patrick's Cathedral, built by James Renwick (Gothic revival architect, 1840's)
• Key characteristics of Gothic architecture

  • Grand height - vertically suggesting an aspiration to heaven, emphasised on the exterior in a major way by the towers and spires
  • Cruciform plan - use Latin Cross Plan, East End and the Lady Chapel
  • Majestic facade - the facade of a large cathedral, often referred to as the West Front, generally designed to create a powerful impression on the approaching worshipper, traditionally faced West, often has three portals leading to the nave
  • Illuminated and airy interiors - universal features of the Gothic Style – the shrinking of the walls and the inserting of large windows
  • Emphasis on decoration and ornamentation - Sculpture and architectural details were often bright with coloured paint
• Defining architectural elements of Gothic architecture

  • Stained glass windows and traceries
  • Pointed arch
  • Ribbed and fan vault
  • Spires & pinnacles
  • Gargoyles
  • Flying buttresses