Title: Gothic Architecture
1Gothic Architecture C. 1140-1450
Height and Light
2Architecture Terms
- Nave-the central Aisle
- Transcept-the cross arm of the church
- Clerestory-row of windows on the upper part of
the Nave wall - Arcade-series of arches supported by piers and
columns, called a blind arcade when attached to a
wall - Choir-square area between the apse and the
trancept - Apse-a semicircular niche at the end of one or
both ends of the nave, usually at the east end - Ambulatory-Walkway around the apse
- Flying buttresses-a projecting support built
against an external wall to counteract the
lateral thrust of a vault or arch - Pier-upright, rectangular support, sometimes with
capitals and bases - Bay-a subdivision of the interior space of a
church, usually in a series supported by
architectural supports - Crypt-a vaulted space beneath the Choir which
causes the Choir to have a raised floor - Transverse Section-an architectural drawing
presenting a building as if cut across the
vertical plane at a right angle to the vertical
plane - Aisle-a passageway running parallel to the Nave
separating it from the colonnades - Façade-The principal face or the front of a
building - Elevation-an architectural drawing presenting a
building as if projected on a vertical plane
parallel to one of its sides
3- St. Denis- rebuilding commissioned by Abbot
Suger, chief advisor to Louis IV - Championed spiritual politics-the relationship
between church and state in order to rally the
nation behind the king - Denis was the shrine of the apostle of France and
the memorial of the Carolingian dynasty - Wanted to make it the spiritual center of France
- Architectural forms seem weightless
- Windows fill entire wall because of heavy
buttresses that bear the weight
Interior, St. Denis, 1140-44
4Plan, St. Denis
- Buttresses jut out between the chapels in the
ambulatory - Similar to Romanesque- pilgrimage choir, but more
integrated and ribbed vaulting is everywhere (in
Romanesque, only ambulatory) - New kind of geometric order to the plan-
continuous, open space
5- Suger brought in artisans from many different
regions for his projects - Strove for strict geometry and harmony among all
the parts - Harmony was spiritual, like the light that came
in through the stained glass windows- symbolism
of light and of proportion came from early
Christian thought - Sugers new style spread throughout Europe
- What came first- Sugers theological architecture
or the innovations that made it possible? Some
say Suger was an architect - New thrust to raise the roof to the
heavens-maximum space with the minimum of
material- possible because of the use of the
pointed arch in groined vaults which could be
raised to any desired height regardless of its
width
6- Future of Gothic architecture lay in towns rather
than monasteries. - Revival of urban life
- Bishops and town clergy rose to power
- Cathedral schools and universities took the place
of monasteries as centers of learning - Our Lady the Virgin Mary in Paris
- Plan focuses on longitudinal axis
- Compact and unified
- Transcept is stubby, double ambulatory of choir
continues into aisles - But still reminiscent of Romanesque-square bays
under nave vaults and galleries above inner aisles
Plan, Notre Dame 1163-1250
7Notre Dame, 1163-1250
- Large clerestory windows, lightness and
slenderness of form - Verticalism of the interior space- the effort
isnt seen like in Romanesque
8Flying Buttresses, Notre Dame
- Seen from the outside, the buttresses are arched
bridges that reach to the critical spots between
the clerestory windows where the outward thrust
of the nave walls is concentrated
9- Façade is original except for damage to its
sculpture during the Revolution - Derived from St. Denis and Romanesque Westwork
- Same three-part façade, three-story arrangement,
portals - More balances and coherent than Romansesque
facades - Sculpture is given a very structured role
- Very lace-like rather than cubic- more like a
screen than a wall
West Façade, Notre Dame
10- 1145-Bishop of Chartres (friend of Suger)
rebuilt his cathedral in the new style - 50 years later, all but west façade was destroyed
by fire and rebuilt- second rebuilding in 1194 - The rest was finished in only 26 years
- Because of this, the basic design is extremely
unified- but was constructed in several stages by
several builders so the design is evolutionary - North spire built in the early 16th c.
- Built on the highest point of the town
- 1st Cathedral of the mature Gothic style
West Façade, Chartes, 1145-1220
11West Portals, Chartres
12Chartres, Transverse Section
13Plan, Chartres
- Very few walls- uninterrupted space
- Pilgrimage Church- massive amounts of people came
to see relic- remnants of the robe of the Virgin
Mary (which survived the fire) - Wide aisle runs the length of the nave
- Still has most of stained glass- changes the
quality of everyday light
14Shows Clerestory And Gallery
Chartres
15Amiens Cathedral- The Gothic style at its
climax -height is the aesthetic and technical
aim -entire area above the nave is a clerestory
Amiens Cathedral, Choir Vault, 1220
16Amiens, Nave
Amiens, Transverse Section
17Reims Cathedral, 1225-99
Notre Dame, 1163-1250
18Salisbury Cathedral, 1220-70
- Gothic style spread to England- although England
had its own style-mainly used to add to
Romanesque churches that hadnt been finished-
called Early English style - Instead of tall and compact, Salisbury is
sprawling, flying buttresses only for show, west
façade is wider than the church itself
19- Nave is different too-
- Stresses horizontal bands rather than
- Verticality
- Very steep curve to the nave vaults-also seen at
Durham but now its for style rather than
necessity - More conservative style than French Gothic
Salisbury Nave and Choir
20- Built as a monumental landmark to civic
pride-towering over entire city - Designed by Arnolfo di Cambio,
- Most famous for octagonal dome (based on a Roman
design) built by Brunelleschi done in the 15th C. - Nothing Gothic about the exterior
- West façade was not as important in Italy-some
not finished until the Renaissance
Florence Cathedral 1296