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Lecture 9 Gothic

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
38 views56 pages

Lecture 9 Gothic

Uploaded by

Nikil Maharjan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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History of Western Architecture

Lecture 9: Gothic Architecture

Prepared by Lecturer : Ar. Sunaina Karmacharya Amatya III/I


LECTURE OUTLINE
• History
• Architectural Features
• Architectural Types
Cathedrals
Secular Buildings
• Regional Styles
French
British
German
Italian
Spanish
Influence of gothic architecture
History
• In the North Europe, A new architecture- (FRANKISH) Architecture evolved
with pointed masonry Arches and with Vaults covering the Vast NAVE and
TRANSEPTS Style- Gothic Architecture, characterized by the pointed
Arches from the East.

Summary
• 12th century -16th Century
• Originated from France around 12th century thus also known as ‘French
Style’
• Influences all over Europe
• Earlier >“French style”/ Later “Gothic”
• New technology > pointed arch
History
• Evolution of Style
• 12th century: origin
• 13th century: plenitude
• 14th century until mid 15th
century: international
• Second half of the 15th century:
flamboyant (highly elaborate)
CATHEDRAL EXAMPLES
• Paris, France
• Architect: Abbot Suger
• Begun : 1137

Abbey Church Of St. Denis


Introduction
 Gothic Architecture had a strong
skeletal stone structure, pure structural
logic and was not bulky and heavy like
Romanesque.
 Gothic Architecture is the emphasize
of line which takes over transforming it
into light weight form .
 Gothic Architecture emphasizes light
through the use of stain glass windows
and the reduction of materials .
Introduction
• Gothic design was the
beginning of a great
movement of Church
Building. (1130-1190).
• And also were the mighty
rings of city wall, castle,
Large town halls built
under this style.
Architectural features
• The basic character of Gothic
Architecture was the pointed Arch,
the flying Buttress, and the ribbed
vaults.
• Pointed Arch easier to vaults an
opening of varieties of ht.. To support
the greater thrust of stone vaults and
the greater strain put on the remains
of section of walls, once windows had
become larger, it was necessary to
use heavier and heavier Buttress.
Architectural features
• The real answer came with flying
Buttress, not known in the
Romanesque period, in which thrust
can be transferred by an Arch or a
series of Arches from the Nave, over
the roof of the Aisles to a flying
Buttress that may be free standing or
attached to the Aisles.
• An Engineering problem was thus
solved with economy/elegance, but the
basic ideas were present in the
Romanesque style.
Architectural features
• The entire structure of the style
consisted of skeleton of Piers,
Buttress, pointed Arch, and
ribbing vaults and all are held
in Equilibrium by the
combination of oblige/vertical
forces neutralizing each other
with walls merely enclosure.
• The concept of unity is given
due importance in Gothic
Building/Structures.
Architectural features
THREE MAJOR ELEMENTS
• POINTED ARCHES
• RIBBED VAULTS
• FLYING BUTTRESSES

OTHER ELEMENTS
• POINTED PINNACLES
• GARGOYLES
• STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
Architectural features
• Internally a focus on large stained-glass
windows for light to enter than
Romanesque style. To achieve this
lightness, flying buttresses support to
enable higher ceilings and slender
columns. example in Durham Cathedral.
• The pointed arch for both visual and
structural reasons. Visually, the
verticality suggests an aspiration to
Heaven. Structurally, its use gives a
greater flexibility to Architectural form.
Architectural features
• Gothic vaulting above spaces both
large and small is usually supported by
richly molded ribs.
• The pointed arch with Gothic tracery -
structural support of the large
windows.
• Pointed stained glass to form brilliant
transparent picture in windows under
the pointed vault arch. Gothic was
fundamentally an Ecclesiastical
(Religious) Style.
Architectural features: MAJOR
Pointed Gothic Arches
Santa Maria del Pi , Barcelona
Grace Cathedral , France
Architectural features: MAJOR

Pointed Arches Ribbed Vaults


Rib Vaults

Basilique Saint-Denis;

Guildford Cathedral: Britain


Architectural features: MAJOR
Maze or Labyrinth

Flying Buttresses
Flying Buttresses

Cathedrale Saint-Etienne de Bourges;


France, Bour

Cathedral at Chartres.
France

• Flying buttresses lead to thinner


and massive walls
• Thus giving option for more
windows
Architectural features: OTHERS

Windows
Gargoyles

Gablet Capital
Architectural features: OTHERS
Pointed pinnacles
add strength and stability to structure
enables buildings to reach new height
makes it look lighter

Gargoyles
frightening and intimidating sculptures
waterspout, projecting from an upper part of a
building to throw water clear of walls
or foundations

Stained Glass
Occupy more space than earlier
Colored light in the building
Origins of Gargoyle
Water spouts
Building Cornices
Decorative Elements
Protective Figures
Cathedral, Chartres; France,
Chartres

Pointed Pinnacles

Duomo, Italy, Milano


Gargoyles
Stained Glass Window
cathedral
• Religious structures
cathedral
• Latin cross plan
• But >number of naves increases in the
transept
• 3 or 5 five naves> usually 5 naves at
crossing
• Ambulatory space
• Radial chapels
• Ceiling> ribbed vaults
• 2 towers in front façade
cathedral

Longitudinal Section: aisles, triforium clerestory.


cathedral

• The ceiling evolved from the


barrel vault
• The lancet arch permits higher
structures
• The most common roofing
– Rib vault
– Crossing vault
• Support by slim and delicate
pillars
cathedral

Openness
• 3 levels: aisles, gallery and clerestory
• Numerous windows > Plenty of natural
light
• Higher height> Pointed arch> more
ceiling space
• Walls are open, allowing a lot of light
into the church, with different levels of
intensity (more light in the highest
parts because light comes directly).
cathedral

Buttresses
• External supports
essential for higher height
• Most common> flying
buttress
• Pinnacles appear on top>
transmit load to floor
Cathedral

• Flying buttress> wall is liberated and may be


open with windows

• Windows > stained glass


cathedral
CATHEDRAL EXAMPLES

• Paris, France
• 1163

NOTRE DAME
CATHEDRAL EXAMPLES
• Chartres, France
• 1194

NOTRE DAME
CATHEDRAL EXAMPLES

• Reims, France
• 1211

NOTRE DAME
Secular buildings
• Development is consequence of
– trades
– development of cities government

• Main secular buildings:


– Palaces
– Town halls
– Markets
Secular buildings

• Town halls were the residence of the city’s government


• two kinds :
– Northern (Netherlands) : very decorated, with
ogee and lancet arches
– Southern (Italian): closer, sometimes as a fortress

Leuven

Siena
Secular buildings
• Palaces were the residences of the nobility
• They lose their defensive character
Secular buildings
• Markets >places for keeping the products and to
sell them
• They have big rooms with this purpose
• The spaces are clear, with high and stylised
columns
French gothic
• Height and their impression of
verticality.
• Compact, with slight or no projection
of the transepts and subsidiary
chapels.
• The west fronts have three portals
surmounted by a rose window, and two
large towers.
• The east end is polygonal with
ambulatory and sometimes a chevette
of radiating chapels.
• In the south of France, many of the
major churches are without transepts
and some are without aisles
German gothic
• Huge towers and spires.
• The west front generally follows the French
formula, but the towers are taller, and if
complete, are surmounted by enormous
openwork spires.
• The eastern end follows the French form.
• The distinctive character of the interior of
German Gothic cathedrals is their breadth
and openness.
• Cathedrals tend not to have strongly
projecting transepts.
• There are also many churches without
clerestorey windows.
British gothic
• Extremely long plan
• Internal emphasis upon the horizontal.
• Usually, every part of the building built in a different
century and in a different style> no stylistic unity !!!!
• Sprawl affect> double transepts projecting strongly
• Lady Chapels tacked on at a later date
• west front the doors are not significant
• The West window is very large and never a rose, which
are reserved for the transept gables
• The west front may have two towers or none
• There is nearly always a tower at the crossing and it
may be very large and surmounted by a spire
• East end is square
Italian gothic
• Polychrome decoration
• Externally as marble veneer on the brick facade
• Internally arches are made of alternating black and white segments
• Mosaics in the lunettes over the doors.
• Plan >regular and symmetrical and have few and widely spaced columns
• Proportions simple, based on the square, the arches are almost always
equilateral.
• Projecting open porches
• Occular or wheel windows rather than roses
• Do not usually have a tower attached
• The crossing is usually surmounted by a dome
• Free-standing tower and baptistry.
• Smaller windows
• Stained glass windows > BUT fresco or mosaic.
Spanish gothic
• Spatial complexity.
• Comparatively short and wide, and are
often completely surrounded by chapels.
• Stylistically diverse.
• Influences on both decoration and form
are Islamic architecture
• Later> Renaissance details combined
• West front resembles a French west
front,
• Spires of German style.
• Few pinnacles
• Towers and domes of a great variety of
shapes and structural invention rising
above the roof.
Romanesque Vs. gothic
Romanesque Architecture Gothic Architecture
ROMANESQUE VS. GOTHIC

ROMANESQUE GOTHIC

• round • point
• parts • whole
• architectural ornament • sculptural ornament
• planar • plastic
• clarity • intricacy
• mass • precision
• weight • lightness
• masculine • feminine
Assignment for students

Possible exam questions:

•What are the main features of Gothic


architecture? Compare and contrast Gothic
architecture and Renaissance with suitable
examples in terms of built form, material used
and internal space planning. (4+12)

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