TheSevenKeyChar

act
eri
sti
csofGot
hicAr
chi
tect
ure

1.Gr
and,
Tal
lDesi
gns,
Whi
chSweptUpwar
dsWi
thHei
ghtandGr
andeur

Themagni
fi
centgot
hicext
eri
orofYor
kMi
nst
eri
ntheUK.Cr
edi
t:M PoudalCC-
BY-
2.0

I
ntheti
mesbef or
egothi
carchi
tect
ure,
Ear
lyMedi
evalar
chi
tect
sst
ruggl
edt
ospr
eadt
he
wei
ghtofheavystonewal
ls.

Thi
smeantthatmosttowersneededt
obeshort,andbui
ldi
ngsthi
n,ot
her
wisethesheer
wei
ghtofhi
gherlevel
s(orl
argeroomsandhal
ls)wouldcol
lapsei
ntot
hemselves.

Oneofthefundamentalcharacteri
sti
csofgothicar
chit
ectur
ewasit
sheight
.Newbui
ldi
ng
t
echni
ques( suchasthefl
yingbut t
ress,det
ail
edbelow)enabl
edar
chit
ectst
ospr
eadthe
wei
ghtoftall
erwall
sandl of
tiertowers.

Thisal
lmeantt
hatgothi
cbui
ldi
ngscoul
d,quit
eli
ter
all
y,scalenewhei
ght
s.I
tal
lowedt
hem t
o
reachupt
otheheavens-per
fectf
orcat
hedral
sandchur ches.

Thecat
hedr
alpi
ctur
edabovei
sYor
kMi
nst
er-oneoft
hemanyat
tr
act
ionsofYor
k,UK.

Thi
sist
hef
amousDom -orcat
hedr
al-ofCol
ogne.I
t'
sanamazi
ngexampl
eoft
heGot
hicst
yle.

You'llseet hatI'
vescatt
eredphotosoftheCologneDom ( Cathedr
al)t
hroughoutthispage-see
thepi cjustabove.It'
soneofthemostvi sit
edtour
istat
tracti
onsinGermany, andmi r
aculousl
y
survivedt hebombi ngsofWorldWarII.It
'saphenomenalexampl eofgothicarchit
ectur
e,
exhibiti
ngal lsevencharact
eri
sti
csofthisamazingdesignst yl
e.Ihopeyouenjoythephot os!

2.TheFl
yingBut
tr
ess
Thesefl
yingbuttr
essesareafeat
ureofgot
hicarchit
ect
ure.They'
repar
toft
heStVi
tus
Cathedr
alinPragueCastl
e.Cr
edit
:Patr
ickGonzalesCC-
BY-SA-2.0

Thefl
yingbutt
ressisthedefini
ngext
ernalchar
act
eri
sti
cofgothi
carchi
tectur
e.These
but
tr
esseseffecti
velyspreadthewei
ghtofthenewdesigns,
taki
ngt
hewei ghtofft
hewal
ls
andtr
ansfer
ri
ngf orcedir
ectl
yt ot
heground.

"
Thef
lyi
ngbut
tr
esswaspr
act
ical
anddecor
ati
ve,
too"

However
,what
'spar
ti
cul
arl
ynot
abl
eaboutt
hef
lyi
ngbut
tr
essi
sthati
t'
sdecor
ati
ve,
too.

Rathert
hanjustbeingasi mplesuppor
t,but
tresseswer
eoftenel
aborat
elydesignedand
ext
remelydecorat
ive.Theyappearedtodartandsweeparoundeachbuildi
ng,givi
ngasense
ofmovementandofgr andeurmissi
ngfrom previ
ousar
chi
tectur
aldesi
gns.

3.ThePoi
ntedAr
ch

Amoder
nexampl
eoft
hechar
act
eri
sti
cpoi
ntedar
ch.Cr
edi
t:JBr
ewCC-
BY-
SA-
2.0

Theinnovati
onofthepointedar
chwhi
chwast hedefi
ningint
ernalchar
act
eri
sti
cofgot
hic
archi
tect
ure.I
tssi
gnif
icancewasbot
hpract
icalanddecorati
ve.

Thepoi
ntedarchef
fect
ivel
ydi
str
ibutedt
hefor
ceofheavi
ercei
li
ngsandbul
kierdesi
gns,
and
coul
dsupportmuchmor ewei
ghtthanpr
evi
ous,si
mplepi
ll
ars.

Thestrongerar
chesal
lowedf
ormuchmor
ever
ti
cal
hei
ght
,too-t
heyl
it
eral
lyr
eachedupt
othe
heavens.
Thegot
hicarchwasn'
tjustaworkhor
se.I
thadanaest
het
icval
ueandbeaut
ywhi
chi
nfl
uenced
manyotherf
eatur
esofgothicdesi
gn-mostnot
abl
ythevaul
tedcei
li
ng.

Mal
bor
kCast
le,
inPol
and,
hassomeexcel
lentexampl
esofpoi
ntedcei
li
ngs.

4.TheVaul
tedCei
li
ng

Thevaul
tedcei
li
ngwasani
nnovat
ionwhi
chl
eadonf
rom t
heachi
evement
soft
hepoi
nted
arch.

Thedel
icatevaul
tedcei
li
ngsofMalborkCastl
einPoland.Thesecei
li
ngsar
eanot
herf
eat
ureof
got
hicarchi
tect
ure.Cr
edi
t:Al
exanderBaxevani
sCC-BY-2.0

Ir
regul
ar,vaul
tedceil
ingsutili
sedthetechnol
ogyofthepoint
edar
chtospreadf
orceand
weightfr
om upperfloors.Thear chal
soprovidedt
heimpressi
onofhei
ghtandmagnif
icence,
givi
ngthevaultedceil
ingaf eel
ingofgrandeurandel
egance.

Thedi
str
ibut
ionofforcewit
hinthevaul
tedcei
li
ngenabledvault
stobebuil
tindi
ff
erentshapes
andsi
zes,t
oo.Previ
ously,
vault
scouldonlyhavebeencir
cularorr
ect
angular
.

Thepi
ctur
eaboveisagai
nanexampl
efr
om Mal
bor
kCast
le,
inPol
and.
Char
act
eri
sti
c5.The
Li
ghtandAir
yInt
eri
or

Bef
oregot
hicarchi
tect
ure,
cast
lesandear
lyMedi
evalbui
ldi
ngswer
epr
ett
ydepr
essi
ngpl
aces
t
oli
veinorworshipin.

Castl
es,inparti
cul
ar,
wer epl
acesofdampandmould,asmostwer
en'
tbui
ltst
rongenought
o
supportslat
eorstoneroofi
ng.Al
thought
hesef
ort
ressescoul
dmoreorl
esspropupwooden
roof
s,theseleti
ntherain.
I
fthatwasn'
tdepressingenough,t
heseol
denvi
ronment
stendedtobedarkanddi
ngy.The
windowsweregenerallyt
iny,
asthefor
ceoft
hewallswoul
dcoll
apseint
othemsel
vesift
hey
i
ncludedanyl
argerglassworks.

Got
hicar
chi
tect
urest
rovet
obet
heexactant
hesi
stot
hisol
derMedi
evalst
yleofbui
ldi
ng.

I
temphasi
sedlight
,br
ightwindowsandair
yint
eri
ors,
transf
ormi
ngcast
lesandchur
chesi
nto
mor
epleasantandmajesti
cenvir
onments.

Youcanseet
heheight,
lightandai
rynat
ureoft
hei
nsi
deofCol
ogneCat
hedr
al.Thi
sisagr
eat
exampl
eofgot
hicarchi
tecture.

6.TheGar
goyl
esofGot
hicAr
chi
tect
ure

Aclassi
cgargoyl
e-youcanseehi
sdual
pur
poseasadecor
ati
onandal
soasawat
er-
spout
.
Cr
edit:Maur
iceKoopCC-BY-
ND-2.
0

Oneoft hemostnotabl
echaracteri
sti
csofgot
hicar
chi
tect
ureisthegar
goyl
e.Gargoyl
esare
decorati
ve,
monstrousli
tt
lecreatur
es,per
chedatal
ongtheroof
sandbattl
ementsofgothi
c
buil
dingsandcast
les.

Gargoyl
eshaveapract
icalpur
pose:t
hey'
respout
s,enabl
ingr
ainwat
ertodr
ainofftheroofand
gushthr
oughthei
rmout hs,
befor
eplummeti
ngtotheground(gut
ter
ingi
sarelat
ivel
yrecent
i
nnovati
on!
).

However,gargoyl
eshadanot herintendedpurpose:tostr
ikefeari
ntot
heheartsofill
-educat
ed
Medievalpeasant
s,scaringthem intothechurchorcathedral
.Manygargoyl
esi ncl
ude
el
ement softhegrotesque:exaggerated,
evilf
eatur
esort hr
eateni
ngposes,whichwoul dhave
l
eereddownf rom on-hi
gh.

I
nawor
ldmar
kedwi
thf
earandsuper
sti
ti
on,
thesecr
eepycr
eat
ureswoul
dundoubt
edl
yhave
encouragedmanyt oseeksol
aceandsafetyinsideofachurchorcat
hedral
-protect
edf
rom
thedemonsandghoul swhichroamedoutside.Thegargoyl
eisoneofthedefi
ning
character
ist
icsofgot
hicar
chit
ectur
e,andsticksinthemindeventot
oday.

Ofcourse,
youcoul
dalwaysexplor
emor
eaboutt
hespooky,
creepyanddownr
ighthaunt
ed
aspect
sofgothi
carchi
tect
ure.

Thegargoyl
eisoneoft
hekeychar
act
eri
sti
csofgot
hicar
chi
tect
ure.Cr
edi
t:JamesPr
est
onCC
-
BY-2.
0

7.TheEmphasi
sUpont
heDecor
ati
veSt
yleandt
heOr
nat
e

Got
hicar chi
tect
uremar kedthefi
rstt
imethatbeautyandaestheti
cvalueshadbeen
i
ncorporatedint
obui l
dingdesi
gn.Thisr
evolut
ioni
sedt hewaythatMedievalar
chi
tect
sbegan
t
othinkofbui l
dings.Archi
tect
urewasnolongerjustfunct
ional-i
tbegantohavemeritand
meaningi ni
tsownr ight.

Thi
sdoor
wayofCol
ogneDom exempl
if
iest
heor
nat
e,got
hicst
yle.

Increasi
nglyambit
iousandornatedesignsofchurch,cathedralandcast
lecametobebuil
t.
Rivalryandcompetit
iondrewdif
ferentgroupsofbuil
derstoconceiveandconst
ructgr
ander
andmor edecor
ati
vedesigns,
forthegloryoftheChri
stianregion.

Thi
stremendousspir
eoftheDom inCol
ogne,
Ger
many,
showst
her
each,
hei
ght
,gr
andeurand
i
ntr
icatedet
ailoft
hegot
hicst
yle.

How" TheModer
nSt
yle"Becamet
oBeAssoci
atedWi
thBar
bar
ians:AQui
ckHi
stor
yofGot
hic
Archi
tect
ure

Got
hicar
chit
ect
urerevol
uti
onisedt
heappearanceofMid-
Medievalbui
ldi
ngs.Dor
emember
t
hough,t
hat'
got
hic'
isactual
lyaret
rospect
iveter
m.Itwoul
dn'
thavebeenusedinMedi
eval
t
imes.Thisstyleofarchi
tect
urewas,backthen,
cal
ledt
he"Moder
nStyl
e",
andi
twasa
r
evol
utionar
yi nfl
uenceforal
lcast
les,chur
chesandpal
acesi
nEurope.

Thestyl
eor i
ginal
lybecamepopulari
nFr
ancef
rom t
he1150s,
andspr
eadwi
thsur
pri
sing
speedacrossthewhol eofEur
ope.

Some300year
slat
er,
inthe1450s,
thi
sstyl
ebegant
ogooutoffashion.Renai
ssance
ar
chi
tect
s,t
henewvogue,st
art
edtopourscor
nuponthi
sst
yleofarchi
tect
ure.

Theyderi
deditasbeingold-
fashi
onedanduncout
h,becauseitwasfant
ast
ical
,exagger
ated
anddari
ng.TheirRenai
ssancestyl
ewasclassi
cal
,sol
id,pur
e,andsymmetri
cal
.

Toexpr esstheirscorn,
theRenaissancear chi t
ect
sactual
lycoinedt heter
m' gothi
c
archi
tecture'
.'Gothi
c'wasapejorativeterm, asthegothswerebar bari
answhohadwr eaked
havoconEur opehundredsofyear searli
er.Thechoiceof"gothicarchit
ecture"expr
essedthei
r
di
sgustf oranar chi
tect
uralst
ylethattheyf elthadbl
ight
edthef aceofEur ope.