Gothic architecture, architectural style in Europe that lasted from the mid 12th century to the 16th century, particularly a style of masonry building characterized by cavernous spaces with the expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery. In the 12th–13th centuries, feats of engineering permitted increasingly gigantic buildings The rib vault, flying buttress, and pointed (Gothic) arch were used as solutions to the problem of building a very tall structure while preserving as much natural light as possible. Stained-glass window panels rendered startling sun-dappled interior effects.

1. By Anant Nautiyal

2. Gothic architecture, architectural style in Europe that lasted from the mid 12th century to
the 16th century, particularly a style of masonry building characterized by cavernous
spaces with the expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery. In the 12th–13th
centuries, feats of engineering permitted increasingly gigantic buildings
The rib vault, flying buttress, and pointed (Gothic) arch were used as solutions to the
problem of building a very tall structure while preserving as much natural light as possible.
Stained-glass window panels rendered startling sun-dappled interior effects.
Gothic architecture is common to most surviving cathedrals, churches and abbeys
of Europe.

3. Pointed
Pinnacles
Gargoyles
Stained
Glass
Windows
Gothic
Arch
Ribbed
Vault
Flying
Buttresses

4. Add strength and
stability to the
structure
Enables buildings
to reach new
heights
To make it look
light

5. Pointed Pinnacles
Cathedrale Saint-
Etienne de
Bourges; France,
Bourges

6. Pointed
Pinnacles
Cathedral, Chartres;
France, Chartres

7. Pointed Pinnacles
Duomo, Milano; Italy,
Milano

8. The origins of the word
'gargoyle' are derived from the
old French word 'gargouille'
meaning throat.
Gargoyles came into gothic
architecture in the early 13th
century and are defined as "a
waterspout, projecting from an
upper part of a building to throw
water clear of walls or
foundations."
Gargoyles are frightening and
intimidating sculptures - perfect
for the likes of great Lords and
Kings who built elaborate
fortresses and castles in order to
crush and intimidate the
indigenous population.

9. Gargoyles
An illustrated
example of a
gargoyles….

10. Gargoyles
Notre Dame
cathedral in Paris

11. Gargoyles
Notre Dame
cathedral in Paris

12. Stained glass windows could
now take up much of the wall
space,
letting in light and color for a
beautiful and moving effect.

13. Stained GlassWindow
Cathedrale Saint-
Etienne de Bourges;
France, Bourges

14. Stained GlassWindow
Cathedrale Saint-
Etienne de Bourges;
France, Bourges

15. Stained Glass Windows
Basilique Saint-Denis;
France

16. Rose Stained Glass Window
Basilique Saint-Denis;
France

17. The Medieval Gothic Arch
was a major feature of the
architecture of the Middle
Ages.
The Gothic architects and
builders discovered the
amazing strength and
stability of using pointed
arches.
The walls of Gothic buildings
could be thinner because the
weight of the roof was
supported by the arches
rather than the walls.
The use of theGothic arch
gave the builders
tremendous flexibility.
The arch could not only
support greater weights but
could also span greater
distances, allowing vaults to
be taller and wider.
Thinner walls had wider
window openings which
encouraged the use of
stained glass and the
magnificentGothic Rose
Windows.

18. Gothic Arch
Santa Maria del Pi
Barcelona

19. Gothic Arch
Cathedral, Chartres;
France, Chartres

20. Gothic Arch
Grace Cathedral ,
France

21. The reasons that the
cathedrals had so
many of these vaulted
roofs is because the
medieval builders
thought that they
helped reduce the risk
of fire.
That was really good
because fires
often spread and there
were no fire fighters to
help extinguish the
fire.
Also, it made the
inside of the cathedral
have a finished look.

22. GothicVault

23. VAULTS

24. Gothic (Ribbed)Vault
Guildford Cathedral:
Britain

25. Romanesque (Barrel)Vault

26. BarrelVault

27. Gothic (Ribbed)Vault

28. Gothic (Ribbed)Vault
Exeter Cathedral,
England

29. Gothic
(Ribbed)Vault
Basilique Saint-Denis;
France

30. It serves to transmit the lateral forces
pushing a wall outwards (which may arise
from stone vaulted ceilings or from wind-
loading on roofs) across an intervening
space and ultimately down to the ground.
Another application of the flying buttress is to
prop up a wall which may be leaning with a
danger of collapse.

31. Flying Buttresses
Cathedral at Chartres.
France

32. Flying Buttresses

33. Flying Buttresses
Cathedrale Saint-
Etienne de Bourges;
France, Bourges

34. SOME FAMOUS GOTHIC
BUILDINGS
A few cathedrals are listed below:
Durham Cathedral ( 1128-1134)
England
A rib vaulted and a pointed arch roof
Cathedral of Cefalù(1131-1471)
Sicily
In 1420, Portico was added between the two towers of the façade.
St. Denis’ Basilica( 1135- 1140)
France
The flying buttresses, pointed arches and ribbed vault were used as
one unit for the first time in this cathedral.
Noyon Cathedral ( 1150-1231)
France
It is the first true Gothic Cathedral because of the heavy use of all
features that came to be known as Gothic including pointed arches,
flying buttresses and ribbed vaulting.
Wells Cathedral ( 1174-1239)
England
The first building of its kind to entirely dispense with the round
arches in favor of the pointed arch and is thus the very truly Gothic
cathedral.

35. The Notre Dame de Paris
The Notre Dame de Paris is one of the finest
monumental buildings of French Gothic style of
Architecture.
It was started by Bishop Maurice De Sully in
1163 and the west towers were the last to be
completed in 1250.
Its length is 420 ft. X 226 ft. and has height of
226 ft.
The Cathedral was to be built in the new gothic
style and had to reflect Paris’s status as the
capital of the kingdom France.
It was the first cathedral built on a monumental
scale and became the prototype for future
cathedrals in France.

36. The Notre Dame de Paris
The original plan contained double ambulatories
and was on a bent axial line.
The interior elevation was of four levels with an
area of pillars.
It has a wide nave, double aisles, transepts
surrounded with chapels and western towers.
The central nave is divided into number of bays
with cylindrical columns of Corinthian capitals
carrying pointed arches.
The main doorway has a central pillar with a
statue of Christ.
The cathedral is crowned with a beautiful
central wheel window of 10m in diameter.
The frontal west façade features 3 wide portals.
Above the portals is the Gallery of Kings with
28 statues of Judean Kings and higher up
are the famous gargoyles and grotesques.

37. The Notre Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris was among
the first buildings in the world to
use the flying buttress (arched
exterior supports). The building
was not originally designed to
include the flying buttresses
around the choir and nave but
after the construction began,
the thinner walls (popularized in
the Gothic style) grew ever
higher and stress fractures
began to occur as the walls
pushed outward. In response,
the cathedral's architects built
supports around the outside
walls, and later additions
continued the pattern.

38. Prepared by: Anant Nautiyal
Dhir Dhwaj
Rishabh Dev Sharma