GOTHIC

ARCHITECTURE
VARUN SREENATH
VENKATA AYYAPPA.K.H
VIGNESH VASANTH
VRUSHANK N GOWDA
VYSHNAVI S RAO
YASHIKA BAID
YASHWANTH T M
YUKTHA M
INTRODUCTION

The meaning of Gothic:

• Gothic architecture is a style that flourished in Europe during the High and Late Middle Ages. It evolved from
Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture. Originating in 12th-century France, it
was widely used, especially for cathedrals and churches, until the 16th century.

• There was a misleading preconceptions about gothic style, a legacy of confusion that has existed nearly 500 years.

• In the renaissance it was believed that the fall of Rome had been followed by a millennium of cultural degradation
before art was brought to life again in 15th century.

• In order to take maximum credit for this achievement, writers of renaissance told : “The dark ages” came when
the invading barbarian tribes of north “ruined” the ancient arts and substituted their own inferior culture.

• The goths, who actually wrought little physical damage when they took Rome in 410, were the tribe held to be
chiefly responsible for this catastrophe.

• Thus, the term Gothic was concocted in the renaissance as a part of its own self definition.
The first Gothic structure:
• The church which served as the primary model for the style was the Abbey of St-Denis, which underwent
reconstruction by the Abbot Suger, first in the choir and then the facade Suger remodeled the ambulatory of
the Abbey, removed the enclosures that separated the chapels, and replaced the existing structure with
imposing pillars and rib vaults. This created higher and wider bays, into which he installed larger windows,
which filled the end of the church with light. Soon afterwards he rebuilt the facade, adding three deep
portals, each with a tympanum, an arch filled with sculpture illustrating biblical stories. The new facade was
flanked by two towers. He also installed a small circular rose window over the central portal. This design
became the prototype for a series of new French cathedrals
• It was the first building of the new gothic style. But it was not called gothic
At this time. It was called the “the French style”
• Other architects soon copied the design for other big churches and cathedrals in northern France. After
Abbot Suger's death, the rest of the church was also rebuilt in the new style, and got two more much larger
and more decorated rose windows
• "Romanesque" was the style of architecture in Europe before the "Gothic" style.
• Gothic architecture grew out of Romanesque architecture. Many of the features of Gothic architecture did
not begin in the Gothic period. They were already there in Romanesque architecture, and slowly changed to
become Gothic. The main changes were the pointed arch and the flying buttress. These two developments
allowed many other changes to happen.
• The old style of Romanesque architecture, with its rounded ceilings, huge thick walls, small windows and
dim interiors had been replaced by soaring Gothic arches, thin walls, and huge stained glass windows,
which flooded the interiors with light. By modifying the system of ceiling vaulting and employing flying
buttresses to change how weight was transferred from the top down
• Outstanding examples of these structures include: Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris (1163-1345), Chartres
Cathedral (1194-1250) and Cologne Cathedral (1248-1880).
• Three phases of Gothic architectural design can be distinguished: Early, High, and Late Gothic.
• Early gothic:
• The fusion of all the above mentioned structural elements into a coherent style of architecture occurred first
in the Ile-de-France (the region around Paris), whose prosperous inhabitants had sufficient resources to
build the great cathedrals that now epitomize Gothic architecture. The earliest surviving Gothic structure is
the Abbey of Saint-Denis in Paris. Cathedrals with similar vaulting and windows soon appeared, beginning
with Notre-Dame de Paris (c.1163-1345) and Laon Cathedral (c.1112-1215).
• High Gothic (1200-80) "Rayonnant"
• On the Continent, the next phase of Gothic building design is known as Rayonnant Gothic architecture,
whose English equivalent is referred to as "Decorated Gothic". Rayonnant Gothic architecture was
characterized by new arrays of geometrical decoration which grew increasingly elaborate over time, but
hardly any structural improvements. In fact, during the Rayonnant phase, cathedral architects and masons
shifted their attention away from the task of optimizing weight distribution and building higher walls, and
concentrated instead on enhancing the 'look and feel' of the building.
• Late Gothic (1280-1500) "Flamboyant"
• A third style of Gothic architectural design emerged around 1280. Known as Flamboyant Gothic architecture,
it was even more decorative than Rayonnant, and continued until about 1500.
Materials used:
Lime stone, corase lime stone, red sand stone, brick and stone.

Geological.—Geological conditions vary so much in Europe that they contribute a definite influence in
differentiating the style according to countries ; thus the white and coloured marbles of Italy, the coarse-grained
stone of France and England, the brick of northern Germany, as will be seen, in determining the character of the
architecture of these countries.
Climatic. Climatic conditions, which, even in Europe, vary from north to south and east to west, have in all
ages and countries had considerable influence in deciding the style of the architecture in any given district. Thus
in the slanting rays of the northern sun the most effective shadows are cast by vertical features, such as the
buttresses and pinnacles which surround northern Gothic churches. The southern sun moves higher in the
firmament and thus the deepest shadows are cast from horizontal cornices, and these are therefore frequently
retained in Italian Gothic. Although this did not wholly determine the difference in treatment. Climate, as will
be seen, more especially affected the use of arcades and the size of door and window openings ; while heavy
snow-falls necessitated steep Gothic roofs in the north.
 Religious.—The conditions of the Christian Church and the rise of monastic communities precedent to the
Gothic period have been dealt with under Romanesque architecture (p. 244). The immense power of the popes
in the thirteenth century can be judged from the way. they made and unmade emperors and kings and disposed
of their dominions. The clergy, by reason of their learning, were prominent not only in spiritual but also in
temporal affairs, and thus attracted wealth and power to the church. In Germany many of the abbots and
bishops were princes of the Empire, and the Archbishops of Cologne, Treves, and Mayence were among the
Electors of the Holy Roman Empire. The periodical pilgrimages to shrines of local saints and of holy relics, and
the various forms of an increasingly ornate ritual, influenced the plans of cathedrals.

Social.—The rapid growth of towns and the development of commercial activity, with the consequent increase
of wealth, inspired a rivalry between neighbouring cities which was expressed in the erection of magnificent
buildings both municipal and ecclesiastical. The countries of Europe developed along different lines according
to the genius of the people, as set forth in the following chapters—English (p. 314), French (p. 436), Belgian
and Dutch (p. 469), German (p. 483), Italian (p. 498), and Spanish (p. 525)
1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards
With Height and Grace
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.
2.The Flying Buttress

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

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.
4.The Vaulted Ceiling

The vaulted ceiling was an innovation which lead

on from the achievements of the pointed arch.

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. 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.
5. Light, Airy Interiors

Gothic architecture emphasised light, bright windows and airy interiors, transforming castles and
churches into more pleasant and majestic environments.
 6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture

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.
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.
EVOLUTION OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture which

flourished during the high and late medieval period.
Originating in 12th-century France and lasting into the
16th century, Gothic architecture was known during the
period as “the French Style”, with the term Gothic first
appearing during the latter part of the as
a Renaissance stylistic insult.
It evolved from Romanesque Architecture and was
succeeded by Renaissance Architecture. The Goths
contributed many architectural ideas. Those ideas have
been used in various structures in the Gothic Period most
importantly in the construction of Cathedrals.
Renaissance Architecture which flourished after the
Gothic Architecture adopted some of its ideas but
modified it according to their architectural sense of
understanding.
The elements that developed during the Gothic Period are as follows:
• Pointed Arch
• Fan-like Vault
• Flying Buttress
Gothic Architecture greatly emphasized on the construction of several Gothic Churches in
Europe.
 The Gothic pointed arch was derived from the Islamic
The Pointed Arch Pointed Arch of Moorish Spain.
Reims Cathedral is the best example where the use of
pointed arches is very prominent.
• The arches appeared in 2nd millennium BC in
Mesopotamian Brick Architecture. Later on, the
sophisticated and systematic use of arches to span
huge structures was started by Romans.
• The ancient Romans learned the arch from the
Etruscans, refined it and were the first builders to tap
its full potential for above ground buildings.
• The Romans were the first builders in Europe, perhaps
the first in the world, fully to appreciate the advantages
of the arch, the vault and the dome.
• The main feature of Gothic Architecture is a vaulting
framework of intersecting, pointed arch ribs, which
support thin stone panels. The ribs were constructed as
the permanent ‘formwork’ and the space between them
was filled with a pointed arch.
Fan Like Vault

• Vaulting system was adopted as structural

elements.
• Since, they did not use beams as structural
elements, they discovered vaulting system
that acted as ornaments and served the
purpose of giving structural strength to the
structure.
• The interior of Gothic cathedral gives a
feeling of spaciousness and great height. One
can appreciate the piers blossoming out into a
fan-like vault.
• One of the famous example for Fan-like
vaulting system: Vaulted Staircase of Christ
Church, Oxford
 Flying Buttress

• Flying Buttress was another principle element that

developed in the Gothic Period.
• A flying buttress is a free-standing buttress attached to
the main structure by an arch or a half-arch. Flying
Buttresses were used as structural elements.
• The evolution of exterior is an outcome of interior, and
also the method of construction. In vaulting system
used, the pressure due to the vault and the arch was
transferred to the ground by buttresses which were
called Flying Buttresses, thrusted on top by a pinnacle.
• Notre Dame, Paris is an excellent example of Gothic
Architecture.
• Gothic Architecture was an intricate system of
construction, which was practiced by generations of
experts consisting of masons, artists and supervisors,
who were both engineers and architects. They were the
“Master Builders”.
Notre-Dame de Paris

HISTORY

• construction of Notre-Dame began between 24 March and

25 April 1163 with the laying of the cornerstone in the
presence of King Louis VIIand Pope Alexander III.

• Four phases of construction took place under bishops

Maurice de Sully and Eudes de Sully (not related to
Maurice), according to masters whose names have been
lost.
Plan of Notre Dame de PARIS
CONSTRUCTION

• The first phase began with the construction of the choir and its
two ambulatories.
• The choir was completed in 1177 and the high altar consecrated on 19 May
1182 by Cardinal Henri de Château-Marçay, the Papal legate in Paris, and
Maurice de Sully

CHOIR HIGH ALTAR

AMBULATORY
• The second phase, from 1182 to 1190, concerned the
construction of the four sections of the nave behind the
choir and its aisles to the height of the clerestories.

• It began after the completion of the choir but ended

before the final allotted section of the nave was
finished.

• Beginning in 1190, the bases of the façade were put in

place, and the first traverses were completed.

• The Crown of Thorns was placed in the cathedral in

1231 by King Louis IX, during the construction of
the Sainte-Chapelle.
• The use of simpler four-part rather than six-part rib vaults meant that the roofs were stronger and could
be higher.

Early six-part rib vaults of the nave. The ribs

transferred the thrust of the weight of the roof
downward and outwards to the pillars and the
supporting buttresses.

• After Bishop Maurice de Sully's death in 1196, his successor, Eudes de Sully oversaw the completion
of the transepts, and continued work on the nave, which was nearing completion at the time of his
own death in 1208.
• By this time, the western façade was already largely built, though it was not completed until around
the mid-1240s.
• Between 1225 and 1250 the upper gallery of the nave was constructed, along with the two towers on
the west façade.
West facade
The decision was made to add
a transept at the choir , where
the altar was located, in order
to bring more light into the
center of the church
• Another significant change came in the mid-13th century, when the transepts were remodeled in
the latest Rayonnant style; in the late 1240s Jean de Chelles added a gabled portal to the north
transept topped off by a spectacular rose window.
Both these transept portals were
richly embellished with sculpture;
the south portal features scenes
from the lives of St Stephen and
of various local saints, while the
north portal featured the infancy
of Christ and the story of
Theophilus in the tympanum,
with a highly influential statue of
the Virgin and Child in
The west rose window North rose window
the trumeau.

Shortly afterward (from

1258) Pierre de Montreuil
executed a similar scheme on the
southern transept.
Illustration of the Last Judgment, central portal
A strix on the
of west façade
west façade
Gargoyles were the
rainspouts of the Cathedral

The martyr
Saint Denis,
holding his
head, over the
Portal of the
Virgin
Chimera on the façade
• An important innovation in the 13th century was the introduction of
the flying buttress.
• Before the buttresses, all of the weight of the roof pressed outward
and down to the walls, and the abutments supporting them.
• With the flying buttress, the weight was carried by the ribs of the
vault entirely outside the structure to a series of counter-supports,
which were topped with stone pinnacles which gave them greater
weight.
• The buttresses meant that the walls could be higher and thinner, and
could have much larger windows.
• The date of the first buttresses is not known with any great precision
beyond an installation date in the 13th century
• The first buttresses were replaced by larger and stronger ones in the
14th century; these had a reach of fifteen meters between the walls
and counter-supports.
• Master builders Pierre de Chelles, Jean Ravy, Jean le Bouteiller, and Raymond du Temple succeeded de
Chelles and de Montreuil and then each other in the construction of the cathedral.
• Ravy completed de Chelles's rood screen and chevet chapels, then began the 15-metre (49 ft) flying
buttresses of the choir.

Notre Dame and its

chevet seen from the
east. Flying buttresses,
dug with a channel for
the disposal of
rainwater from the roof,
span with grace the
radiating chapels of the
choir. The builders have
stepped pinnacles, these
fingers of stone erected
above the foothills.
Altitude 70 meters.
SPIRE
• The original spire was constructed in the 13th century, probably between 1220
and 1230.
• It was battered, weakened and bent by the wind over five centuries, and
finally was removed in 1786.
 Resurrection
• In July 1801, the new ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, signed an agreement to restore the cathedral to the
Church
• The cathedral was functioning in the early 19th century, but was half-ruined inside and battered
throughout.
• The commission for the restoration was won by two architects, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine
Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who was then just 31 years old.
• They supervised a large team of sculptors, glass makers and other craftsmen who remade, working
from drawings or engravings, the original decoration, or, if they did not have a model, adding new
elements they felt were in the spirit of the original style.
• They made a taller and more ornate reconstruction of the original spire (including a statue of Saint
Thomas that resembles Viollet-le-Duc), as well as adding the sculpture of mythical creatures on the Galerie
des Chimères.
• The restoration took twenty five years.
• During the liberation of Paris in August 1944, the cathedral suffered some minor damage from stray
bullets. Some of the medieval glass was damaged, and was replaced by glass with modern abstract designs.

Statue of Thomas the Apostle,

with the features of restorer
Viollet-le-Duc, at the base of
the spire
Modern renovations

• The stone masonry of the cathedral's exterior had deteriorated in the 19th and 20th
century due to increased air pollution in Paris, which accelerated erosion of decorations
and discolored the stone.
• By the late 1980s, several gargoyles and turrets had also fallen off or become too loose
to remain in place.
• A decade-long renovation program began in 1991 and replaced much of the exterior,
with care given to retain the authentic architectural elements of the cathedral, including
rigorous inspection of new limestone blocks
• The set of four 19th-century bells atop the northern towers at Notre-Dame were melted
down and recast into new bronze bells in 2013, to celebrate the building's 850th
anniversary.
• They were designed to recreate the sound of the cathedral's original bells from the 17th
century
 Chartres Cathedral

• Chartres Cathedral or the Cathedral of Notre-Dame,

Gothic cathedral located in the town of Chartres,
northwestern France.

• Generally ranked as one of the three chief examples

of Gothic French architecture (along with Amiens
Cathedral and Reims Cathedral), it is noted not only
for its architectural innovations but also for its
numerous sculptures and its much-celebrated stained
glass.

• The cathedral’s association with the Virgin Mary made

it the destination of pilgrims in the Middle Ages.
 HISTORY

• Architects began constructing the first Gothic cathedral at

Chartres after its Romanesque predecessor was destroyed by
fire in 1020. Unfortunately most of the new church, except for
its crypt and western facade, was also gutted by fire in 1194,
whereupon construction began on the present structure, which
was largely completed in 1220 in French high gothic style.

• The present cathedral is in an excellent state of preservation.

The majority of its 32,292 square feet of stained glass has
survived, while the overall architecture has witnessed only
minor changes since the early 13th century, notably the 16th
century addition of a flamboyant-style 113-metre spire.
 PLAN

• The cathedral is roughly 130 metres (430 ft) in length, and its
nave is 16.5 metres (55 ft) wide.

• Its cruciform design plan - typical of French Gothic

Basilicas,includes a two bay vestibule (narthex) at the western
end leading into a seven bay nave up to the crossing with its
three-bay transepts. The heads of the transept end in a richly
decorated projecting atrium above which a series of fine
lancet windows connects to rose windows.

• The nave continues east and ends in a semicircular apse. The

nave and transepts are flanked by single aisles, which
broadens into a wide ambulatory around the choir and apse.
• New kind of organization in plan:
RECTANGULAR BAYS flanked by one
single square in each aisle rather than two,
no alternate-support system, ribbed groin
vaults had 4-parts not 6 so that nave looks
like one continuous hall.

• Planned from beginning with flying

buttresses which made possible the
elimination of the tribune/gallery

• Tripartite (3) nave elevation: arcade,

triforium and clerestory with enlarged
windows (double lancets crowned by a
single oculus).
 WESTERN FACADE

• The western facade is one of the few elements to

survive from the mid-12th-century church.

• The west end of the cathedral is dominated by two

different spires – a 105-metre (349 ft) regular pyramid-
style structure built around 1160 and the 113-metre
16th-century flamboyant spire.

• The central part of façade has a rose window and

embellished with hundreds of architectural statues and
areas of Biblical relief sculpture, illustrating important
theological narratives.
• The façade has 3 portals each of the three portals focuses on a different
aspect of Christ's role:

• Right Portal: archivolts depict 7 female Liberal Arts and their male
companions in the tympanum, Christ appears in lap of Virgin Mary

• Left Portal: Christ’s Ascension into Heaven,archivolts have signs of

zodiac and scenes representing various labors of months of year =
symbols of cosmic and earthly worlds

• Central Portal: Theme became a symbol of salvation rather than

damnation

• Statue-columns of kings and queens (jamb figures)flank the 3 doorways/

episodes of Christ’s life are carved on the column capitals and form a
frieze/link from one entrance to the next/ most complete.
Windows

• Chartres Cathedral contains 176

stained-glass windows, the feature for
which it may be best known. Like the
sculpture, the stained glass was intended
to be educational. The five windows of
the choir hemicycle (a semicircular
arrangement) relate in various ways to
the Virgin Mary.

• The cathedral has three large rose

windows.The rose window in the north
transept portrays figures from the Old
Testament. The south transept, which is
representative of the New Testament,
has a rose window depicting
the Apocalypse.
 Sculptures

• The cathedral contains an

immense amount of sculpture,
particularly figure sculpture,
ranging from large column
statues to miniatures. As the
purpose of the sculptures was
to preach and instruct, they
mainly depict scenes and
figures from the Old and New
Testaments.
Construction Technique

• The cathedral exemplifies the Gothic values of height

and height, which were only realized because Gothic
architects managed to channel the weight of the groin
ribbed vaults . The ribs transferred the thrust of the
weight of the roof downward and outwards to the piers
and the supporting buttresses.
• Consequently, not only could the ceiling be higher (and
more awesome) but also the walls could house much
bigger (and more inspirational) stained glass windows.
And more glass meant less Romanesque-style gloom
but lots more Christian art for worshippers to enjoy.
• The ribs transferred the thrust of the weight of the roof
downward and outwards to the piers and the supporting
buttresses.
Flying Buttresses

• The use of buttresses (see figure,

left) led to the abandonment of the
graduated external profile in favour
of an elevation on two levels,
simple but majestic. The
composition of the volumes is
repeated in the sequence of the tall,
massive buttresses that repeat on the
exterior the rhythm of the internal
bays. The weight of the vaults is
passed to the buttresses by way of
double arches and arcades of radial
colonettes.