The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic

Architecture: From the Gargoyle to the

Flying Buttress
This form of architecture developed because of common architectural problems in
Medieval times.

Back in the 1100s-1200s, building skills were extremely limited. Stone castles and cathedrals
were rudimentary – dark, cold, and damp.

Gothic architecture tried to solve some of these unpleasant problems, and created light,
pleasant and airy buildings. Before the gothic, architecture was functional. Now, architecture
became beautiful.

This menacing gargoyle I discovered in Munich is a great example of gothic architecture.

Why build a simple rain-gutter, when you could turn it into a monster?!

a grotesque carved human or animal face or figure projecting from the gutter of a building,
typically acting as a spout to carry water clear of a wall.

Screaming gargoyle, Munich town hall

Some gothic buildings – particularly churches and cathedrals, such as York Minster, in York,
England (the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe) – were rendered into awe-inspiring
places of piety and worship, as a result of their phenomenal gothic design.

Many castles adopted some of the characteristics of gothic architecture, too. They became
transformed from dank living environments into majestic, light and pleasant residences for
the lords and ladies within.

An aside! ‘Gothic architecture’ is a retrospective term. Medieval people would never have
used it.

Back in Medieval times, this form of building was called ‘the modern style’. More on the
history of gothic architecture is contained later in this article.

The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture

1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards With Height and Grace

The
magnificent gothic exterior of York Minster in the UK. Credit: M Poudal CC-BY-2.0

In the times before gothic architecture, Early Medieval architects struggled to spread the
weight of heavy stone walls.

This meant that towers needed to be short and buildings thin. Otherwise, the sheer weight of
the high floors would make the building collapse into itself.

One of the fundamental characteristics of gothic architecture was its height. New building
techniques (such as the flying buttress, detailed below) enabled architects to spread the
weight of taller walls and loftier towers.
This all meant that gothic buildings could, quite literally, scale new heights. It allowed them
to reach up to the heavens – perfect for cathedrals and churches.

The cathedral pictured above is York Minster – one of the many attractions of York, UK.

This is the
famous Dom – or cathedral – of Cologne. It’s an amazing example of the Gothic style.

You’ll see that I’ve scattered photos of the Cologne Dom (Cathedral) throughout this page –
see the pic just above. It’s one of the most visited tourist attractions in Germany, and
miraculously survived the bombings of World War II.

It’s a phenomenal example of gothic architecture, exhibiting all seven characteristics of this
amazing design style.
2. The Flying Buttress

These flying
buttresses are a feature of gothic architecture. They’re part of the St Vitus Cathedral in Prague
Castle. Credit: Patrick Gonzales CC-BY-SA-2.0

The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture. These
buttresses act to spread the weight of the tall walls. They support the structure by transferring
force directly to the ground.

The flying buttress was not just practical, though. It was also decorative.

Flying buttresses were often elaborately designed. They appeared to dart and sweep around
each building, giving a sense of movement and of flight. They were often decorated with
intricate carvings, giving a sense of grandeur and importance.
3. The Pointed Arch

A modern example of the

characteristic pointed arch. Credit: J Brew CC-BY-SA-2.0

The innovation of the pointed arch was another key characteristic of gothic architecture.
Again, its significance was both practical and decorative.

The pointed arch is a sturdy little design. Its form distributed the force of heavier ceilings and
bulky wall. It could support much more weight than previous, simple, spindly pillars.

The stronger arches allowed for much more vertical height, too – they literally reached up to
the heavens.

The gothic arch wasn’t just a workhorse. It had an aesthetic value and beauty which
influenced many other features of gothic design – most notably the vaulted ceiling.

Malbork Castle, in Poland, has some excellent examples of pointed ceilings.

4. The Vaulted Ceiling

The vaulted ceiling was an innovation which lead on from the achievements of the pointed
arch.
 The delicate vaulted ceilings of Malbork
Castle in Poland. These ceilings are another feature of gothic architecture. Credit: Alexander
Baxevanis CC-BY-2.0

Irregular, vaulted ceilings utilised the technology of the pointed arch to spread force and
weight from upper floors.

These sturdy supports allowed ceilings to be taller than before. (Although note that the
ceiling height isn’t uniform). This provided the impression of height, grandeur and elegance.

The distribution of force within the vaulted ceiling enabled vaults to be built in different
shapes and sizes. Previously, vaults could only have been small, and circular or rectangular.

The picture above is again an example from Malbork Castle, in Poland.

5. Light, Airy Interiors

Before gothic architecture, castles and early Medieval buildings were pretty depressing
places.
Castles, in particular, were damp and mouldy. Most castle walls were too weak to support
slate or stone roofing. As a result, many fortresses had wooden roofs. Typically, these let in
the rain.

If that wasn’t depressing enough, these old buildings tended to be dark and dingy. They
generally didn’t see any sunlight. If they did have any windows, these were generally tiny.
The force of the walls would collapse into themselves if they included large glassworks.

Gothic architecture strove to be the anthesis of this older Medieval style of building.

Gothic architecture emphasised light, bright windows and airy interiors, transforming castles
and churches into more pleasant and majestic environments.

You can see the height, light and airy nature of the inside of Cologne Cathedral. This is a great
example of gothic architecture.
6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture

A classic
gargoyle – you can see his dual purpose as a decoration and also as a water-spout. Credit: Maurice
Koop CC-BY-ND-2.0

One of the most notable characteristics of gothic architecture is the gargoyle. Gargoyles are
decorative, monstrous little creatures, perched at along the roofs and battlements of gothic
buildings and castles.

Gargoyles have a practical purpose: they’re spouts, enabling rainwater to drain off the roof
and gush through their mouths, before plummeting to the ground. (Guttering is a relatively
recent innovation!).

However, gargoyles had another intended purpose. They were designed to strike fear into the
hearts of ill-educated Medieval peasants, scaring them into the church or cathedral.

Many gargoyles include elements of the grotesque. They had Exaggerated, evil features or
threatening poses, which would have leered down from on-high.

In a world marked with fear and superstition, these creepy creatures would undoubtedly have
encouraged many to seek solace and safety inside of a church or cathedral. There, they would
be protected from the demons and ghouls which roamed outside.

The gargoyle is one of the defining characteristics of gothic architecture, and sticks in the
mind even to today.

Explore more about the spooky, creepy and downright haunted aspects of gothic architecture.
 The gargoyle is one of the key
characteristics of gothic architecture. Credit: James Preston CC-BY-2.0

7. An Emphasis on Decoration, and the Ornate

Gothic architecture marked the first time that beauty and aesthetic values had been
incorporated into building design.

This revolutionised the way that Medieval people began to think of buildings. Architecture
was no longer just functional – it began to have merit and meaning in its own right.
 This doorway of Cologne Dom
exemplifies the ornate, gothic style.

Increasingly ambitious and ornate designs of church, cathedral and castle came to be built.
Rivalry and competition drew different groups of builders to conceive and construct grander
and more decorative designs, for the glory of the Christian region.
 This
tremendous spire of the Dom in Cologne, Germany, shows the reach, height, grandeur and intricate
detail of the gothic style.

Bonus Round! A Quick History of Gothic Architecture

Gothic architecture revolutionised the appearance of Mid-Medieval buildings. Do remember

though, that ‘gothic’ is actually a retrospective term. It wouldn’t have been used in Medieval
times.

This style of architecture was, back then, called the “Modern Style”, and it was a
revolutionary influence for all castles, churches and palaces in Europe.

The style originally became popular in France from the 1150s, and spread with surprising
speed across the whole of Europe.

Some 300 years later, in the 1450s, this style began to go out of fashion. Renaissance
architects, the new vogue, started to pour scorn upon this style of architecture.

They derided it as being old-fashioned and uncouth, because it was fantastical, exaggerated
and daring. Their Renaissance style was classical, solid, pure, and symmetrical.

To express their scorn, the Renaissance architects actually coined the term ‘gothic
architecture’.
‘Gothic’ was a pejorative term, as the goths were barbarians who had wreaked havoc on
Europe hundreds of years earlier. The choice of “gothic architecture” expressed their disgust
for an architectural style that they felt had blighted the face of Europe.

Atmospheric,
Autumn arches of a ruined cathedral in Wales, UK. Credit: David Nicholas CC-BY-ND-2.0

However, the gothic style was – and is to today – absolutely unstoppable. In the mid 1600s,
the style resurfaced, and was re-invented for more modern audiences.

The ‘gothic revival’ period (or the “neo-gothic” period; also referred to in England as the
“Victorian gothic”) saw many of the characteristics of gothic architecture re-invented for
more modern buildings.

Buildings built in the gothic revival style include the Houses of Parliament in London;
Parliament Hill in Ontario, Washington Cathedral, and many campuses of 1800s Universities
worldwide.

These adopted the common characteristics of gothic architecture in a more contemporary

style.

Even today, the gothic style is still phenomenally popular. It is often the design-of-choice for
new churches, cathedrals and similar buildings in Europe and the Americas.

Many of the key characteristics of gothic architecture have been adopted into more modern
architectural designs, and our current aesthetic style owes a great deal to the roots of the
gothic architecture movement in Medieval times.
GOTHIC INTERIORS AND FURNITURE
 Architectural features were mirrored on a small scale in interiors and furniture.
 Interior work was defend by features such as stained glass,vaulted
arches,statues,intricate tracery and ornate décor.
 Furniture was heavy and made of dark wood
 Lots of intricate panelling and detailing was done.
 Heavy fabrics like velvet,brocade and leather was used
 Wood is varnished or painted in dark colors like ruby,forest green,gold and purple.
Cathedrals are some of the most intricate works of art ever created. Built by countless men over
decades, there are a lot of pieces to these architectural puzzles. Cathedral expert David Macaulay
breaks down the most important building terms for us.

Aisle: The part of a church that runs parallel to the main areas—nave, choir and transept—and is
separated from them by an arcade.

Apse: The circular or angular end of a church, usually the east end.

Buttress: Sometimes called a buttress pier, this is the large stone pier that rises across the aisle from
the pier and is connected to the pier by a flying buttress.
Cathedral: A church of any size that contains the Cathedra or bishop's chair.

Centering: The timber framework that supports the stones of an arch until the mortar between
them is dry.

Choir: The section of the church east of the transept that is sometimes raised above the level of the
nave. It is called the choir because traditionally this is where the choir stands to sing during the
service.

Crypt: A lower level, usually below ground, that is used for burial or as a chapel.

Flying Buttress: A stone arch that carries the thrush of the vault to the buttress.

Gothic Architecture: The architectural style that developed in northern France and spread
throughout Europe between 1150 and 1400. Large areas were covered by stone vaults supported on
slender stone piers. By reducing the structure to piers the area between them could be and usually
was filled with glass. The weight and pressure of the pointed vault is concentrated at the points
where the vault touches the piers. This load is then split up. Some is carried down the pier to its
foundation; the rest is carried across the flying buttress to the buttress and then down to its
foundation. The most common features of Gothic architecture are the pointed arches and vaults, the
large amounts of glass in the walls, and an overall feeling of great height.

Nave: The central area of a church where the congregation usually stands.

Rib: The stone arch that supports and strengthens the vault.

Romanesque Architecture: The architectural style that developed between the end of the Roman
Empire and around 1000 AD. In church architecture the nave became higher and narrower and the
many columns that supported the triforium, clerestory and roof were replaced by a few large piers.
The flat wooden ceilings of the earlier churches, which kept burning down, were gradually replaced
by round stone vaults. The round arch and the vault are the most common features of Romanesque
buildings.

Template: The full-size wooden pattern used by the stone cutter when he has to cut many pieces of
stone the same size and shape.

Transept: In a Latin cross plan as at Churtreaux, the section

that crosses the nave, usually separating the nave and the choir