Romanesque and Gothic

Architecture

Contents

❑ What is Romanesque Architecture?

❑ What is Gothic Architecture?
❑ The scope of Romanesque Architecture?
❑ History of Gothic Architecture?
❑ History of Romanesque Architecture?
❑ Elements of Gothic Architecture?
❑ General appearances of Romanesque
❑ What influences Gothic
Architecture?
Architecture?
❑ Elements of Romanesque Architecture?
❑ Materials during Gothic period?
❑ Materials during Romanesque Architecture
❑ Famous Gothic Architecture?
❑ Famous Romanesque Architectures?
What is Romanesque Architecture?

-Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval

Europe characterized by semi-circular arches.
-There is no consensus for the beginning date of the
Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the
11th century.
-Combining features of ancient Roman and Byzantine buildings
and other local traditions, Romanesque architecture is known by
its massive quality, thick walls, round arches, sturdy pillars,
barrel vaults, large towers and decorative arcading.
The scope of Romanesque architecture
-Buildings of every type were constructed in the Romanesque style,
with evidence remaining of simple domestic buildings, elegant town
houses, grand palaces, commercial premises, civic buildings, castles,
city walls, bridges, village churches, abbey churches, abbey
complexes and large cathedrals.
History of Romanesque architecture
Origins
-

With the decline of Rome, Roman building methods survived to an

extent in Western Europe, where successive Merovingian, Carolingian
and Ottonian architects continued.
-Politics
Charlemagne was crowned by Pope Leo III in Old St. Peter's Basilica
on Christmas Day of 800, with an aim to re-establishing the old
Roman Empire.
-Religion
As the roman catholic church was the sole political power at that time
they were building churches with Romanesque style.
General appearances Romanesque Architecture

Romanesque buildings were heavily influenced by the roman

basilica.
Here Are some general appearances of Romanesque
architecture.
1 Dark , solemn spaces
2 Exterior is simple severe
3 Modest height
4 Horizontal lines
5 Multiple units
 DARK SOLEMN SPACES
❑Romanesque churches
and castles were dark, with
few openings.
❑The new concept of stone
vaulting required stronger walls
for support. Because of the lack
of knowledge of the building
statics, it was necessary to build
strong, thick walls with narrow
openings.
Exterior is simple, severe
A combination of masonry,
arches and piers are the basis of
the
Romanesque style. The main
concept for buildings was the
addition of
pure geometrical forms.
Modest Height, Horizontal lines

Romanesque churches
have an emphasis on
horizontal lines,
similar to those of Greek
& Roman public
buildings
 Modest Height, Horizontal lines

Horizontal lines Vertical lines

Romanesque Church Gothic Church
1000-1200 1200-1500
 Multiple Units
Several geometric forms make up the building, rather
than one
shape. This changes in the Gothic era to one large
cross shape.

Romanesque style
Multiple units Gothic style
Several shapes one large space
 Architectural Elements:
1. Round arches
2. Barrel Vaults
3. Piers supporting vaults
4. Groin vaults

1. Round arches
Round arches are similar
to those of the Romans.
 Barrel Vaults

Also called Tunnel Vaults, Barrel Vaults replace the

flat roofs commonly
used in Roman architecture. This is the simplest vault,
created by
combining a series of round or Roman arches

Groin Vaults

A Groin, or Cross vault is a combination of two barrel

vaults at
intersecting angles. It provided a more aesthetically
pleasing
appearance for intersecting vaults.

GROIN VAULT
 Ribbed vault

Ribbed vaults came into general use in the 12th

century. In ribbed vaults, not only are there ribs
spanning the vaulted area transversely, but
each vaulted bay has diagonal ribs.

Domes
Domes in Romanesque architecture are generally
found within crossing towers at the intersection of a
church's nave and transept, which conceal the
domes externally Called a tiburio, this tower-like
structure often has a blind arcade near the roof.
Famous architectural buildings of
Romanesque Period
Pisa Cathedral Leaning Tower of Pisa
Material during Romanesque
period
Precious objects in metalwork, ivories, and
enamels held high status in the Romanesque
period. The creators of these objects are
more well-known than contemporary
painters, illuminators, and architect-masons.
Metalwork, including decoration in enamel,
became very sophisticated.
G OTHIC ARCHICTURE
 What is Gothic Architecture ?
- - Gothic architecture (or pointed
architecture) is an Architectural style that
was prevalent in Europe from the late
12th to the 16th century, during
the High and Late Middle Ages,
surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries
- It evolved from Romanesque
architectural and was succeeded by
Renaissance architecture.
The defining design element of Gothic
architecture is the pointed or ogival
arch.
 Gothic architecture and history

 It follows the Romanesque period.

 It is influenced by political , religious and
other factors.
 It has four period
Early Gothic
Early English high Gothic
Rayonnant Gothic and Decorated Style
Late Gothic: flamboyant and
perpendicular
 Elements of Gothic Architecture
Some elements of gothic architecture

 Pointed arches
 Ribbed vaults
 Flying buttresses
Rose and stained glass windows
Piers
 Pointed arches
 This is the most recognized feature of gothic
architecture
 The stress line of pointed arch Is much more
vertical.
 The weight above the arch is mostly downward.
 It make gothic architecture possible.
 Ribbed vault
 It is formed by modification of groin vault.
 With this change the semi circular arch of
the barrel vault are transformed in to gothic
arcs.
 Small geometrical change but huge
impact.
 They created the golden idea of changing
geometrical curves into structurally
relevant vaults.
 The ribs are the primary structural
members.
 The ribbed vault is lighter and structurally
more relevant than barrel vault and groin
vault.
 Flying buttresses
 Support the piers from outside the
building right at the point with stress line
push out.
 It takes a huge horizontal force of vaults
and redirect vertically in to the ground.
 This external skeleton allow gothic
architectures to sort the height
unimagined by Romanesque
predecessor.
 Rose and stained glass
windows

Increasing the amount of light in the interior was a

primary objective of the founders of the Gothic
movement. Abbot Suger described the new kind of
architecture he had created in the east end of the
Saint-Denis: "a circular ring of chapels, by virtue of
which the whole church would shine with the
wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous
windows, pervading the interior beauty."
Piers

piers were often employed to support arches.

They were built of masonry and square or

rectangular in section, generally having a horizontal
moulding representing a capital at the springing of
the arch
 Gargoyles

.Besides saints and apostles, the exteriors of Gothic

churches were also decorated with sculptures of a variety
of fabulous and frightening grotesques or monsters.

. These included the chimera, a mythical hybrid

creature which usually had the body of a lion and
the head of a goat, and the strix or stryge, a creature
resembling an owl or bat, which was said to eat
human flesh.
 Plans
The plan of Gothic cathedrals and churches was usually
based on the Latin cross (or "cruciform") plan, taken from
the ancient Roman Basilica., and from the
later Romanesque churches.
They have a long nave making the body of the
church, where the parishioners worshipped; a
transverse arm called the transept and, beyond it to
the east, the choir, also known as a chancel or
presbytery,

NOTER-DAM CATHEDRAL PLAN

 What influences Gothic architecture ?

The Gothic style of architecture was strongly influenced by the Romanesque

architecture which preceded it.
It was also influenced by theological doctrines which called for more light, by
technical improvements in vaulting and buttresses that allowed much greater
height and larger windows.
Material during Gothic period
Using radiocarbon dating on metal found in Gothic
cathedrals, an interdisciplinary team has shown, for the
first time through absolute dating, that iron was used to
reinforce stone from the construction phase.

Gothic architecture, which flourished from the middle of

the twelfth century around Paris, included considerable
amounts of iron or steel reinforcements.
 Famous architecture during Gothic period

The Milan Cathedral The Saint Denis Basilica The Chartres Cathedral
 Comparing and contrast Gothic and
Romanesque Architecture
# Structural elements Romanesque Gothic Developments
The pointed Gothic arch varied from a
1 Arches Round Pointed very sharp form, to a wide, flattened
form.
Ribbed vaults appeared in the
2 Vaults Barrel or groin Ribbed Romanesque era and were elaborated
in the Gothic era.

Wall structure diminished during the

3 Walls Thick, with small openings Thinner, with large openings Gothic era to a framework of mullions
supporting windows.

Complex Gothic buttresses supported

Wall buttresses of low Wall buttresses of high
4 Buttresses the high vaults and the walls pierced
projection. projection, and flying buttresses
with windows
Gothic windows varied from simple
Round arches, sometimes Pointed arches, often with
5 Windows lancet form to ornate flamboyant
paired tracery
patterns
Columns and piers developed
Cylindrical columns, Cylindrical and clustered
6 Piers and columns increasing complexity during the Gothic
rectangular piers columns, complex piers
era

Two openings under an arch, Two pointed openings under a The Gothic gallery became increasingly
7 Gallery arcades
paired. pointed arch complex and unified with the clerestory