The gothic style of architecture originated in Northern France from the 12th century to the 16th century. During my visit to York, England, I discovered an outstanding example of English gothic architecture - York minster.
Its predecessor, the Romanesque style, had several problems that the gothic style was able to resolve. In this article, I'll focus on specific components that gave gothic architecture its distinct appearance.
The first element I'm referring to is the instantly recognisable pointed arches that characterise these constructions. It is said that the pointed arch was adopted from Islamic architecture. In terms of engineering, this served a very useful role. The direction in which the arch distributes the pressure that is present above it is known as the stress line. Interestingly, the pointed arch directs the weight above it downward, which reduces the strain on the supporting walls.
This has the benefit of eliminating the requirement for heavy walls to support arches. Semicircular arches were utilised in Romanesque architecture, which caused the pressure to exert outward and horizontally. As a result, the church walls needed to be sturdy and solid to handle this heavy load. If not, there is a chance that the entire wall might collapse. This was why when you enter a Romanesque church, the entire structure seems dark and bulky.
Gothic architecture lacks semicircular arches, resulting in narrower walls and more room for decorative elements like stained glass art (which is most prominent in cathedrals).
Due to their open design, these kinds of arches gave gothic buildings a brighter, grander, and more heavenly appearance.
In architecture, a vault is a curved, masonry structure used to cover roofs and ceilings. Barrel, Groin, Rib, and Fan vaults are the four most common types of vaults. More specifically, rib vaults were utilised in gothic buildings. Rib vaults are used to support the ceiling and are made up of several, but most frequently 2-3/3-4 arches that are all the same height but have different widths, so the weight is practically concentrated in a small region. Barrel vaults were utilised in Romanesque buildings, which once again contributed to the building's hefty appearance.
The flying buttresses are another element that helps today's largest cathedrals. These elements originated in early gothic buildings. The early flying buttress's principal drawback was that sunlight was obstructed. The architects, however, wanted sunlight to be able to shine through the stained glass windows and illuminate the inside of the cathedrals. To address this, the buttress was divided into several stacks (piers), which were then linked together by flyers. Sunlight could penetrate the cathedral because of the distance between the piers. The individual piers are typically crowned with a pinnacle, which improves the stability and design.
The high, pyramidal spires (flèche) are another element. Today, spires are common in skyscrapers and other tall structures, acting as lightning protection. However, as this was the main goal of the specific architectural style, gothic architecture employed spires as a technique to heighten buildings and make them appear bigger. The spires are also supposed to represent the high ambitions of the Christian, medieval people. In addition to the spires, there were tall windows with stained glass window art, which frequently depicted important biblical events like Jesus Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. Each colour utilised in these artworks represents a certain emotion.
Another element that distinguishes this style is the use of gargoyles. In religious terms, they were used to scare away any bad spirits or demons, but in terms of architecture, they served as a spout to deflect rainwater away from the side of the structure, preventing it from pouring down the masonry walls, which would eventually cause structural damage.
Gothic architecture evolved over time to parallel the regional style. For instance, English gothic architecture differs from the French style in that it emphasises length rather than height.
Historically speaking, gothic architecture did wonders by moving on from an era of dull simplicity to incorporating complex geometry and wise decisions to provide a visually stunning aesthetic. Now when we think of churches, buildings such as Westminster Abbey and Notre Dame are the first to come to mind. In addition to continuing to be relevant for years to come, gothic architecture will also serve as an inspiration for designers to include clever technical decisions in their designs.
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