Gothic architecture

in time to see old architecture, and admire the beauty of the older buildings. These buildings are stunning, but what makes them so beautiful? Most Architectural styles follow certain characteristics of their time, and amplify them at a much larger scale. We can see this at almost every single style in history. The gothic style is not the exception. Most buildings from that era follow certain characteristics that make them different from any other style of architecture in history. The Chartres Cathedral is a great example of gothic architecture, and of the elements that characterize it. Chartres Cathedral is a catholic church in Eure y Loir, France, nearly 80 km to the southeast of Paris. It is believed that in…

Evolution of French Architecture During the Gothic Period My favorite aspect of art is usually the architecture because it shows the peaks of human capability on a grander scale. I liked learning about the architecture during the Gothic period the most because it seemed so ambitious, and even though they were built centuries ago, people still marvel at their intricate designs, near unsustainable heights and brilliant use of natural lighting. The new gothic era of reaching new structural heights…

Smokestacks and Spires A Brief Examination of Gothic Architecture and its Revival The late European medieval period saw the development of what we refer to today as Gothic architecture. Through new technological and design innovations, Europeans built awe-inspiring buildings to house their most precious institutions: royal palaces, castles and cathedrals--many of which remain largely untouched by time’s flow centuries later. Drawing from ancient Roman technological advances, the Gothic…

Beginning with the evolution of Romanesque architecture, a new mode of architecture had been born. Gothic architecture began in the midst of France during the Medieval period and through this emergence a series of cathedrals were born under the strain of Notre-Dame. One of the most fascinating is the divine Chartres Cathedral of Chartres, France, dedicated to the Virgin Mary (3). Noted as holy, feminine, and secretive the Chartres has been a fabrication of nothing short of extraordinary (2). The…

GOTHIC AND THE DIVINE What are the ways in which the Divine was used as a generating concept in the design of Gothic cathedrals and churches in the Middle Ages? How did the resulting design goals generate new structural technologies to support a Gothic cathedral, and how were they expressed in the building’s interior? Gothic architecture was born out of the increasing faith to the divine in the present life but also in preparing for the afterlife. A feeling that all human action was governed…

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Congress Street in Portland, Maine exemplifies many aspects of the style of Gothic architecture. The style originated in France in the 12th century and continued into the 16th century. Gothic architecture was an evolution of Romanesque architecture and was replaced by Renaissance architecture. Gothic churches ended up being recognized as the peak of medieval architecture. The style of Gothic architecture was created by a man named Abbot Suger. His…

people react to day-to-day activities in their life. Architecture also has an important role on the way people act in different atmospheres. Some people may think that architecture is all about the shape of the building, but so much more thought goes into the process of it. When creating the architecture of the building, one must look at the intending use of the property, the design to make the property appealing and also to make the guest feel comfortable. In this respect, Cathedrals are prime…

Religion has always been a part of our identity. Today, we wonder around the world seeing these wonderful churches and religious buildings all around us. The architectural style of the Middle Ages was very prominent: high stone vaults, internal elevations of multiple stories, rounded arches and thick walls. This was characterized as Romanesque architecture. One day, a man named Suger changed everything. He reworked these ideas introduced to the world the now known Gothic architecture. Gothic…

1) Who was Abbott Suger and why was he important? What surprising “building material” did he use? Abbot Suger is the man behind the visionary masterpiece, Saint Denis, which is a stained-glass piece of work that created historical importance in Cathedral glass structure. He is very important for his early work of gothic architecture and his style inspired many builders for years. The building material he incorporated in his work was the concept of light to reflect a symbol of god inside the…

The buildings of the Italian Cisternians consisted of a central hall for the crowds to gather, side aisles, and apse. With rectilinear forms challenge the French architecture, also with small windows, one example is the magnificent, Basilica of San Francisco, located in Assisi. The fresco painting on the walls was also an important characteristic of this period. Also, its desire to evoke the Franciscan connection with poverty influenced the architecture. Simply but magnificent is the definition…