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Gothic Architecture and Style. The Era of Cathedrals

Research · November 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18561.04966

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Mohamed K. Ramadan Khaled Dewidar

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 Gothic Architecture and Style.

The Era of Cathedrals.

Dr. Khaled Mohamed Dewidar

The final phase of Medieval Architecture is considered to be the Gothic Era. This

term was first applied in the 17th Century to denote architectural designs that was

not based on precedent forms from the Classical Period (Egyptian, Greek and

Roman Cultures)

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 A) Components of the Gothic Style:

1) Pointed Arches and not circular ones as in Greek and Roman

Cultures.

2) Ribbed Vaults

3) Flying Buttresses

4) Rose and Stained Glass windows

5) Piers for structural stability

6) Axiality

7) Symmetry

8) Structural based architecture, a purely structural style

9) Lightness versus darkness

10) Vertical perception of Space

11) Huge and scale

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12) The Human body is not the basis for any architectural designs

opposed to Roman and Greek cultures.

This will lead to a new architectural and structural concept:

Architecture of Silence

1) Pointed arches with less exerted thrust, where steeper angles will

generate less thrust.

2) Ribbed vaults. The ribs were used as scaffoldings for erecting the

vaults in the site. The ribs also decreased the weight of the vault,

thus ensuring more verticality of the cathedral.

3) Flying buttresses for load distribution. They were used to transfer

the loads from the arches to the piers.

B) Components of the Gothic Cathedral are:

1) Main entrance

2) Aisles

3) Nave

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4) An interior Chapel for prayers

5) Clear storey windows and the use of stained glass.

1) Reduced Building Mass

2) Enhance the quality of space

3) Light as a design medium

4) God is light.

The Gothic Architecture Classifications and

Styles

1) Early Gothic architecture. St Denis, Notre Dame Cathedral Paris

2) High Gothic architecture. Charters Cathedral in France

3) English Gothic architecture. Salisbury and Kings College

Cathedral

4) German Gothic architecture. Strasburg Cathedral

5) Italian Gothic architecture. Milan Cathedral.

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1) Early Gothic Architecture. The Twelve Century

A) St. Denis Cathedral – Paris.

This style first appeared in Paris. It was the home of a very

important and innovative patron of Arts. Abbot Suger. He was a

major French monk and was the most powerful church figure of his

time.

Abbot Suger Image on a Stained Glass In St. Dennis Cathedral. Paris

St. Denis is the first example of early Gothic cathedrals that was

followed by Notre Dame Cathedral. St. Denis was considered to be

the French Royal Church where all the kings were buried in it.

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Abbot Suger wanted to rebuild the church based on the Biblical

descriptions of the Temple of Soliman.

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He was the first Bishop of Paris. Legend says that he was decapitated on the Hill of Montmartre and

subsequently carried his head to the site of the current church, indicating where he wanted to be buried.

He wanted to exceed the height of Haja Sofoia as a major Christian

Church. Like Brunelleschi who wanted to exceed the Pantheon in

Rome and to dominate the Sky line of Italy with the Christian

Church overcoming the pagan temple of the Pantheon. He started

the construction of St. Dennis by adding a new façade in the west

orientation with two twin towers and rose windows in the crossing of

the corridors of the cathedral. He implemented the Ribbed vault

structural system to cover the whole of the interior space of the

cathedral.

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 The Interior of St. Dennis Cathedral

Colored Light was introduced to the cathedral via 7 (holly number)

to the church choir. The irregular window shape and heights was

mainly for optical correction and visual impact. He utilized flying

buttresses and piers for the stability of the whole structure system.

Flying Buttress to direct the loads to the Foundations

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It is great example of architecture of light, where the light of God is

introduced to the interior of the cathedral.

The seven windows in St, Dennis Choir and the Rose windows at the crossing. God is Light

B) Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris

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Suger’s triad–ornamentation, technical accomplishment, and, above all,

light–would come to define Gothic as it spread and developed. Here, in

Notre Dame in Paris Suger expressed the correspondence between the

physical space of the church and its spiritual aim–to conduct the soul

towards the contemplation of the divine.

As Gothic architecture was mainly connected to Virgin Mary who

suffered great sorrow, many of the great and influential cathedrals

were dedicated to her soul.

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Early Gothic qualities are still in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It

remains an important monument of this period. It is a double height

cathedral. The power of the wall and wall bearing structure systems

that commands its attention. It has a 3 portal entry doors with 28

sculptured biblical kings over the doors representing the Old

Testament. Also Radiant rose windows form a halo backdrop for the

sculptured of Virgin Mary and the Christ.

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Types of Ribbed Vaults in the Gothic Cathedral

Four Partite Vault Six Partite Vault.

Fan Shaped Vault Multi Partite Ault

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 2) High Gothic Architecture. The Thirteenth

Century

A) Chartres Cathedral – Paris.

This is the era for the construction of churches with increasingly

refined details and structural features. It is the first example for a

high Gothic architectural style, itb is characterized by:

1) Tri Partite division of the interior, nave, aisle and triforium

passage.

2) Clear storey windows

3) Quadripartite division of the interior as opposed to the Six partite

vault in Early Gothic

** Six Partite Vaults Early Gothic

** Four Partite Vaults High Gothic

4) Soaring Interior Heights

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 5) The use of Iron Tie rods within the masonry structures. This

innovative system was called the Reinforced Brick Structural

System.

3) English Gothic Style

Although the style originated in France, it spread to other parts in

Europe like England, Germany and Italy. It became the predominant

style of all Europe by the 15th Century. The English people started to

form their own their own language and vocabulary that was completely

different from the French Gothic Style.

Historian Categorized the English style:

1) Early English Style.

2) Decorated Style

3) Perpendicular Style.

1) Early English Style

* From 1175-1265

* Corresponds to High Gothic Style in France

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* Four partite vaulting System

* Large Window panels and a Lancet shaped windows.

* Canterbury Cathedral

* Salisbury Cathedral

2) Decorated Style

* From 1265 to 1370

* Elaborated Vaults with ribs called Liernes.

* Cusped shaped windows

* Intersecting lines and planes

* Flowing curvilinear shapes and forms.

* King’s College CAthedral

3) Perpendicular Style

* From 1370 to 1540.

* Very delicate and refined style

* Fan shaped Vaulting system

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* Medium Height cathedrals

* West Minster Abbey.

Thank You

Dr. Khaled Dewidar

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St. Verena Statue

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