GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

What is gothic style and when was it made??• Gothic architecture is a style of architecture used in the high and late

medieval period where in France originating in 12th century France and lasting into the 16th century.

How was Gothic style produced and why was it done??• In the late 1100s and early 1200s AD, the kings of France, whose capital

was Paris in the north, managed to conquer the south of France and make it part of their kingdom. Now all the tax money that had been used to build Christian churches and castles in the south of France came to Paris instead, and finally the people of northern France could afford to build big stone buildings. They didn’t waste any time. To them it was all about money and appearance so they used the only two things they knew how to do, spend money and make an impression.It was produced with hard labour and a hell of a lot of stone (mostly limestone)

What was it influenced by??• Gothic architecture was influenced by so many aspects including region,

material, religion, previous architecture, abbot suger and a possible eastern influence. For example, influence was the availability of materials. In France, limestone was readily available in several grades, the very fine white limestone being favoured for sculptural decoration. England had coarse limestone and red sandstone as well as dark green Purbeck marble which was often used for architectural features. So really it was a matter of whatever was popular and available at the time.It was also inspired by the late Romanesque architecture of Normandy (Caen) and modified by architects who applied ribbed vaulting and pointed arches purposefully made to emphasize light and ‘soaring spaces’.

Which countries have famous Gothic buildings??• Europe is well known for medieval buildings including one’s that display

Gothic architecture, but they were highly expensive to make so they were only built in high income areas (in the day). Although, there were many other countries outside Europe that followed the idea.

• Examples of gothic buildings are on the next slide…

What were gothic buildings mainly used for??• Gothic architecture is most familiar as the architecture of many of the

great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe.

EXAMPLESSt. Denis, France(begun 1130s AD)

Laon Cathedral, France(begun 1160 AD)

Chartres Cathedral, France(begun 1194 AD)

Rouen cathedral, France(begun 1202 AD)

Reims cathedral, France(begun 1211 AD)

Amiens cathedral, France(begun 1220 AD)

Westminster Abbey, England

• Gothic cathedrals have many more windows, and much bigger windows, and so they are not dark like Romanesque churches. This is because the architects have learned some new ways of making roofs and of supporting walls, especially the groin vault and the flying buttress.

• Gothic churches are also usually bigger than Romanesque churches. By 1200 AD, people had more money available, and they could afford to spend more on building great churches. And, where many Romanesque churches had wooden roofs (which were always catching fire), Gothic churches had safer stone roofs.

Romanesque vs. Gothic??

Who were some famous Gothic designers??• Benjamin Bucknall, from England, became a well known gothic designer.

His most noted works include the uncompleted Woodchester Mansion in Gloucestershire, England and his restoration of the Villa Montfeld in El Biar, Algiers. Over all he completed 19 buildings mostly churches, but it did also include some houses and one school.

• Antoni Gaudi from Spain, also was a well known gothic designer.Unlike Benjamin, Antoni wasn’t a specific gothic designer, but he was well known for his style and passion for new ideas which influenced many other designers during the time of gothic architecture.

How did Gothic style help support the power of the Church?

• The mighty cathedral is a symbol of god, his power, and how much people respect him. It was for these reasons such buildings were made. The Church ran everything and everyone lived their life according to the church or didn’t live a long life at all. So the Church had to stand higher than anything else. It had to take your breath away. But most importantly, it had to look powerful so that it became a reminder to everyone just what it symbolised.

Would the Gothic style be an appropriate style to build a church today in? (Would it reflect our current values?)?

Also, Why do people go to gothic churches like Westminster Abbey, Notre Dame, and Milan Cathedral now?

• Simple answer ‘No’.

• Long answer – All churches are still used for prayer (obviously) but now-a-days that isn’t all it’s used for. Sunday school and social groups such as Youth Groups also use churches. Building these sorts of churches and cathedrals that take up such big spaces and cost over-expensive amounts to build really just aren’t worth it.Today, these buildings are only used as spiritual, tourist and church sites because it is already there. There is no real need for them in today’s world but they will always be inspiring, influential and something brilliant to look at.

What is 'neo-gothic' and why was it produced??• Neo-Gothic is an ‘architectural movement’ that began in the 1740s in

England, where it’s popularity has grown, peaking in the nineteenth century. It was made to revive medieval forms of architecture and to make new what was once old.