Gothic Architecture

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
Gothic architecture:
• Gothic architecture began mainly in France, where
architects were inspired by Romanesque architecture
and the pointed arches of Spanish Moorish
architecture.
• Gothic architecture was originally known as “French
Style”. During the period of Renaissance it fell out of
fashion and it was not respected by many artists.
They marked it as “Gothic” to suggest it was the
crude work of German barbarians (Goths).
• It's easy to recognize Gothic buildings because of
their arches, ribbed vaulting, flying buttresses,
elaborate sculptures (like gargoyles) and stained glass
windows.
Architectural
characteristics:
• The Gothic style had an evolution:
• 12th century: origin
• 13th century: plenitude
• 14th century until mid 15th century: international
• Second half of the 15th century: flamboyant
• Structural - skeletal stone structure

• Visual - visual arts played an important role including
the role / use of light in structures
• Symbolic – (scholasticism) translations of real events
into stone and glass.
• Airy and bright interiors

• Specific focus on verticality
• Pointed arches
• Ribbed vaults
• Flying buttresses
• Large stained glass windows
• Ornaments and pinnacles
Gothic cathedrals:
• Cathedrals are the most representative building
• They are full of accessional spirit
• The technical innovations made possible the construction of these buildings, something ethereal.
• Plans continue being of Latin cross but it is more difficult to distinguish because the number of naves increases in the transept.
• They have three or five aisles, normally five after crossing the transept.
• They have an ambulatory.
• There are radial chapels.
• The roof is of ribbed vaults.
• There are two towers in the façade.
Gothic cathedrals:
• The cathedrals can be categorized into
2 types:
• Basilican
• Saloon
• Elevations are adorned with:

• Huge with flying buttress
• In this sectional elevation, we can see
the triforium above the aisles,
followed by clerestory windows.
Gothic cathedrals
(interior spaces):
• The inside is full of light thanks to the
numerous windows
• The cathedral has three levels: low,
gallery and clerestory
• The walls are open, allowing a lot of
light into the church, with different
levels of intensity (more light in the
highest parts because light comes
directly).
• Windows can be open because there
are new supports that are not glued to
the wall.
Gothic Architecture
flying buttress : A free-standing buttress TIERCERON : A major rib in a

attached to the main vessel (nave, choir, or complex rib vault. Tiercerons
transept wall) by an arch or half-arch which spring from the main springers.
transmits the thrust of the vault to the buttress
Gothic Architecture
BARREL VAULT OR TUNNEL VAULT: The GROIN VAULT: A vault produced by the
simplest form of a vault, consisting of a intersection at right angles of two barrel
continuous surface of semicircular or (tunnel) vaults. Sometimes the arches of groin
pointed sections. It resembles a barrel or vaults may be pointed instead of round.
tunnel which has been cut in half
lengthwise
Gothic Architecture
diagonal rib: The moldings which mark the

diagonals in a rib vault
lierne: A minor rib in a complex rib
rib : an arch of masonry, often molded, which
forms part of the framework on which a vault vault. Liernes do not spring from the
rests. Ribs generally project from the main springers.
undersurface of the vault.
Gothic Architecture
INFILLING OR WEBBING: The vault LONGITUDINAL RIDGE RIB OR RIDGE RIB:

surface between the ribs of a rib vault a rib which runs down the apex of the
vault in a longitudinal direction.
Gothic Architecture
FAN VAULT: : A vault which consists of fan-shaped half cones which usually meet at
the center of a vault.
Gothic tracery
Tracery, in architecture, bars,
or ribs, used decoratively in
windows or other openings;
the term also applies to
similar forms used in relief as
wall decoration (sometimes
called blind tracery), and
hence, figuratively, to any
intricate line pattern. The term
is applicable to the system of
window decoration developed
in Europe during the Gothic
period as well as to the
pierced marble screens
common in Mughal India and
the pierced cement windows
of Persia, Turkey, and Egypt
Gothic tracery
PLATE TRACERY: tracery which uses thick areas BAR TRACERY: Tracery which is
of stone to separate glozed areas. The window composed of thin stone elements rather
may look as if it had been filled in with stone, than thick ones as in plate tracery The
then small openings cut through for the glass. glass rather than the stone dominates
The stone rather than the glass dominates the when bar tracery is used. It gives a more
window. delicate, web-like effect
Gothic mouldings
ballflower : a globular motif often used in the

hollow moldings of English Gothic architecture.
It looks like a flower with three, or sometimes
four, petals nearly closed over a central ball.
http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/INDEX.HTM
trefoil: an ornamental quatrefoil : An ornamental form cinqfoil: A five-lobed
shape that has three which has four lobes or foils. It ornamental shape
foils or lobes may resemble a four-petaled
flower.
mullion: the vertical element that lancet: a slender, pointed window. They are
separates the lancets of a window often separated by mullions. Lancets are
especially characteristic of Gothic architecture.
Gothic Architecture
PENDANT: A hanging architectural

member formed by ribs. Not to be
confused with pendentive. Pendants
often appear in conjunction with fan
vaults.
TRIFORIUM OR TRIFORIUM PASSAGE: A
narrow passage in the thickness of the wall
with arches opening onto the nave. It may
occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or
it may be located as a separate level below the
clerestory. It may itself have an outer wall of
glass rather than stone.
PINNACLE: a pointed SPIRE: An elongated, finial An ornament at
termination of a spire, pointed structure which the tip of a pinnacle,
buttress, or other extremity rises from a tower, spire or other tapering
of a building. Pinnacles are turret, or roof. vertical architectural
sometimes ornamented element.
Spatial elements:
• Pinnacle – A sharply pointed ornament capping the piers
or flying buttresses, also used on cathedral facades.
• Flying buttresses – masonry struts that transfer the thrust
of the nave vaults across the roofs of the side aisles and
ambulatory to a tall pier rising above the church's exterior
wall.
• Vaulting web – the masonry blocks that fill the area
between the ribs of the groin vault.
• Diagonal rib – in plan, one of the ribs that form the X of a
groin vault.
• Transverse rib – a rib that crosses the nave or aisle at a
90-degree angle.
• Springing – the lowest stone of an arch, in Gothic
vaulting the lowest stone of a diagonal or transverse rib.
• Clerestory – the windows below the vaults that form the
nave elevations uppermost level. By using flying
buttresses and rib vaults on pointed arches, Gothic
architects could build huge clerestory windows and fill
them with stained glass held in place by ornamental
stonework called tracery.
Spatial elements:
• Oculus – a small circular opening or a window.
• Lancet – a tall, narrow window crowned by a pointed

arch.
• Vaulting web – the masonry blocks that fill the area
between the ribs of the groin vault.
• Triforium – the story in the nave elevation consisting of

arcades, usually blind by occasionally filled with stained
glass.
• Nave arcade – the series of arches supported by piers
separating the nave from the side aisles,
• Springing – the lowest stone of an arch, in Gothic

vaulting the lowest stone of a diagonal or transverse rib.
• Compound pier with shafts – also called the cluster pier, a

pier with a group or cluster of attached shafts extending
to the springing vaults.
Spatial elements
(Pointed arch):
• Gothic architecture is not merely about
ornamentation.
• The Gothic style brought innovative new
construction techniques that allowed churches
and other buildings to reach great heights.
• One important innovation was the use of pointed
arches.
• Earlier Romanesque churches had pointed
arches, but builders didn't capitalize on the shape.
• During the Gothic era, builders discovered that
pointed arches would give structures amazing
strength and stability. Builders turned from the
semicircular, unbroken arch to the pointed arch.
• It looked lighter and pointed upward and it exerts
less thrust than semicircular arch of the same
span.
• It solved geometric difficulty inherent in ribbed
vaults.
• Impossible to arrange all arches and ribs to a
common level using exclusively semicircular ribs
• With a pointed arch, ribs could easily be made
level.
Spatial elements
(Rib vault):
• Organic metaphor alluding to the role of ribs in anatomy as
the body’s skeletal structure supporting tissues.
• Sexpartite vault (Early gothic): ribbed / pointed arch system
to cover double bay – almost semi-circular diagonal ribs.
• –Arches, usually three pairs per rectangular bay, running
diagonally.
• •Cross ribs act together with outer frame to create a
complete armature of arches along the edges and main folds
of the vault
Spatial elements
(Ribbed vaulting):
• Earlier Romanesque churches relied on barrel
vaulting.
• Gothic builders introduced the dramatic technique of
ribbed vaulting.
• While barrel vaulting carried weight on continuous
solid walls, ribbed vaulting used columns to support
the weight.
• The ribs also delineated the vaults and gave a sense of
unity to the structure.
Sexpartite vault
Spatial elements
(The Flying Buttress):
• In order to prevent the outward collapse of the arches,
Gothic architects began using a revolutionary "flying
buttress" system. Arches rise from colossal
freestanding piers. They absorb and channel disruptive
forces, such as wind and weight, safely to the ground.
• Towering piers could be erected without much
affecting the nave or choir interior because of these
buttresses.
• Freestanding brick or stone supports were attached to
the exterior walls by an arch or a half-arch.
Spatial elements
(Stained glass
windows):
• Since the walls themselves were no
longer the primary supports, Gothic
buildings could include large areas of
glass.
• Huge stained glass windows and a

profusion of smaller windows
created the effect of lightness and
space.
Spatial elements
(Gargoyles):
• Cathedrals in the High Gothic style
became increasingly elaborate.
• Over several centuries, builders added

towers, pinnacles, and hundreds of
sculptures.
• In addition to religious figures, many

Gothic cathedrals are heavily ornamented
with strange, leering creatures. These
gargoyles are not merely decorative.
• Originally, the sculptures were

waterspouts to protect the foundation
from rain.
• Since most people in Medieval days

could not read, the carvings took on the
important role of illustrating lessons from
the from the scriptures.
French Gothic:
• The distinctive characteristic of
French cathedrals, and those in
Germany and Belgium that were
strongly influenced by them, is their
height and their impression of
verticality.
• They are compact, with slight or no

projection of the transepts and
subsidiary chapels.
• The west fronts have three portals

surmounted by a rose window, and
two large towers.
• The east end is polygonal with

ambulatory and sometimes a
chevette of radiating chapels.
• In the south of France, many of the

major churches are without transepts Notre-dame-de-paris
and some are without aisles
English Gothic:
• The distinctive characteristic of English
cathedrals is their extreme length and
their internal emphasis upon the
horizontal.
• It is not unusual for every part of the
building to have been built in a different
century and in a different style, with no
attempt at creating a stylistic unity.
• English cathedrals sprawl across their
sites, with double transepts projecting
strongly and Lady Chapels tacked on at
a later date.
• In the west front the doors are not
significant
• The West window is very large and
never a rose, which are reserved for the
transept gables.
• The west front may have two towers or
none. There is nearly always a tower at
the crossing and it may be very large and
surmounted by a spire.
• The distinctive English east end is Wells Cathedral, Wells, U.K.
square.
Italian Gothic:
• It uses polychrome decoration, both Siena Cathedral 1215-1263 AD Siena, Italy
externally as marble veneer on the brick
facade and also internally where the arches
are often made of alternating black and
white segments.
• The plan is usually regular and
symmetrical and have few and widely
spaced columns.
• The proportions are generally
mathematically simple, based on the
square, the arches are almost always
equilateral.
• It may include mosaics in the lunettes over
the doors. The facades have projecting
open porches and ocular or wheel windows
rather than roses, and do not usually have a
tower.
• The crossing is usually surmounted by a
dome. There is often a free-standing tower
and baptistry.
• The windows are not as large as in
northern Europe and, although stained
glass windows are used, the decoration is
German Gothic:
• It is characterized by huge towers and spires.
• The west front generally follows the French formula, but the towers are
taller, and if complete, are surmounted by enormous openwork spires.
• The eastern end follows the French form.
• The distinctive character of the interior of German Gothic cathedrals is

their breadth and openness.
• Gothic structures had a vertical emphasis, with pointed arches and

large stained glass windows.
• Cathedrals tend not to have strongly projecting transepts.
• There are also many hallenkirke without clerestorey windows.

Spanish Gothic:
• Spanish Gothic cathedrals are of spatial
complexity.
• They are comparatively short and wide,
and are often completely surrounded by
chapels.
• Spanish Cathedrals are stylistically diverse.
• Influences on both decoration and form are
Islamic architecture, and towards the end
of the period, Renaissance details
combined with the Gothic in a distinctive
manner.
• The West front resembles a French west
front.
• There are spires of German style.
• Few pinnacles.
• There are often towers and domes of a
great variety of shapes and structural
invention rising above the roof.
GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE
HIGH VENETIAN CASTLE

GOTHIC GOTHIC
EARLY LATE
GOTHIC GOTHIC
SECULAR
GOTHIC
Classical Early Christian Gothic Renaissance Baroque & Rococo Neo Classicism Eclecticism Modernism After Modernism
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Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins
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ARCHETYPES
(HIGH GOTHIC):
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ARCHETYPES
(HIGH GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(HIGH GOTHIC):
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ARCHETYPES
(LATE GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(LATE GOTHIC):
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ARCHETYPES
(LATE GOTHIC):
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ARCHETYPES
(VENETIAN GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(VENETIAN GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(VENETIAN GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(SECULAR GOTHIC):
C.
ARCHETYPES
(SECULAR GOTHIC):

C.
ARCHETYPES
(SECULAR GOTHIC):

C.
ARCHETYPES
(CASTLE):

C.
ARCHETYPES
(CASTLE):


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GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

• Structural - skeletal stone structure

• Airy and bright interiors

• Elevations are adorned with:

flying buttress : A free-standing buttress TIERCERON : A major rib in a

diagonal rib: The moldings which mark the

INFILLING OR WEBBING: The vault LONGITUDINAL RIDGE RIB OR RIDGE RIB:

ballflower : a globular motif often used in the

PENDANT: A hanging architectural

• Lancet – a tall, narrow window crowned by a pointed

• Triforium – the story in the nave elevation consisting of

• Springing – the lowest stone of an arch, in Gothic

• Compound pier with shafts – also called the cluster pier, a

• Huge stained glass windows and a

• Over several centuries, builders added

• In addition to religious figures, many

• Originally, the sculptures were

• Since most people in Medieval days

• They are compact, with slight or no

• The west fronts have three portals

• The east end is polygonal with

• In the south of France, many of the

• The eastern end follows the French form.

• The distinctive character of the interior of German Gothic cathedrals is

• Gothic structures had a vertical emphasis, with pointed arches and

• Cathedrals tend not to have strongly projecting transepts.

• There are also many hallenkirke without clerestorey windows.

HIGH VENETIAN CASTLE

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

Architectural styles– Owen Hopkins

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