Gothic Architecture

• 1. GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE Revision

2. Introduction

• Gothic Art is the expression of the new city life

• It is going to have to different areas:

Religious Civilian 3. Introduction

• The term was coined with a deceptive sense

• It is deter by a series of elements:

• • Economic and social transformations of the late Middle Ages

• • Consolidation of the new monarchies and modern states

• • A new spirituality, with the Cister reform

4. Introduction

• The style had an evolution:

• 12th century: origin

• 13th century: plenitude

• 14th century until mid 15th century: international

• Second half of the 15th century: flamboyant

5. Architectonical elements Lancet arches Tudor Ogee Three-centered 6. Architectonical elements Windows Gablet Gargoiles Capital 7. Cathedral

• Cathedrals are the most representative building

• They are full of accessional spirit

• The technical innovations made possible the construction of these buildings, something ethereal.

8. Cathedral

• Plans continue being of Latin cross but it is more difficult to distinguish because the number of naves increases in the transept

• They have three or five nave, normally five after the crossing

• They have ambulatory

• There are radial chapel

• The cover is of ribbed vaults

• There are two towers in the faade.

9. Cathedral

• The plans can be:

Basilical Saloon 10. Cathedral In the elevation it can be seen the aisles, over them the triforium and finally, the clerestory. 11. Cathedral

• The inside is full of light thanks to the numerous windows

• The cathedral has three levels: low, gallery and clerestory

• The 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).

• Windows can be open because there are new supports that are not glued to the wall.

12. Cathedral

• The cover evolved from the barrel vault

• The lancet arch permits higher structures

• The most common covers are:

• • Rib vault

• • Crossing vault

• All of them stand on slim and delicate pillars

• The nerves cross and there is a decorated boss in the intersection

13. Cathedral

• Supports are essential for the new buildings

• The most common in the outside is the flying buttress

• On top of them pinnacles appear in order to transmit the strength to the floor

Flying buttress Pinnacle 14. Cathedral

• Thanks to the use of flying buttress, the wall is liberated and may be open with windows

• Windows tend to be covered by stained glass

15. Cathedral Faade Lateral faade Apse Ambulatory Radial chapels Crossing Transept Spires Rose window Flying butresses Nave Clerestory Tribune Gargoiles 16. Civilian Architecture

• Its development is consequence of

• • trade renaissance

• • development of cities government

• Main buildings are

• • Palaces

• • Town halls

• • Markets

17. Civilian Architecture

• Town halls were the residence of the citys government

• There are two kind of models:

• • Northern (Netherlands) : very decorated, with ogee and lancet arches

• • Southern (Italian): closer, sometimes as a fortress

Leuven Siena 18. Civilian Architecture

• Palaces were the residences of the nobility

• They lose their defensive character

19. Civilian Architecture

• Markets were the 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

20. French Gothic

• The distinctive characteristic of French cathedrals, and those in Germany and Belgium that were strongly influenced by them, is their height and their impression of verticality.

• They are compact, with slight or no projection of the transepts and subsidiary chapels.

• The west frontshavethree 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

21. British Gothic

• The distinctive characteristic of English cathedrals is their extreme length and their internal emphasis upon the horizontal .

• It is not unusual for every part of the building to have been built in a different century and in a different style, with no attempt at creating a stylistic unity.

• English cathedrals sprawl across their sites, with double transepts projecting strongly andLady Chapelstacked on at a later date.

• In the 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.

• The distinctive English east end is square .

22. Italian Gothic

• Ituse spolychrome decoration, both externally as marble veneer on the brick facade and also internally where the arches are often made of alternating black and white segments .

• The plan is usually regular and symmetricalandhave few and widely spaced columns.

• The proportions are generally mathematically simple, based on the square, the arches are almost always equilateral.

• Itmay include mosaics in the lunettes over the doors.

• The facades have projecting open porches and occular or wheel windows rather than roses, and do not usually have a tower.

• The crossing is usually surmounted by a dome.

• There is often a free-standing tower and baptistry.

• The windows are not as large as in northern Europe and, although stained glass windows areused , thedecoration is fresco or mosaic.

23. German Gothic

• It is characterised by 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.

• Cathedralstend not to have strongly projecting transepts.

• There are also manyhallenkirkewithout clerestorey windows .

24. Spanish Gothic

• Spanish Gothic cathedralsare ofspacial complexity.

• They are comparatively short and wide, and are often completely surrounded by chapels.

• Spanish Cathedrals are stylistically diverse.

• I nfluences on both decoration and form are Islamic architecture, and towards the end of the period, Renaissance details combined with the Gothic in a distinctive manner.

• The West front resembles a French west front,

• T here are spires of German style.

• F ew pinnacles.

• Th ere are often towers and domes of a great variety of shapes and structural invention rising above the roof .