Week Six- Gothic

 Gothic

    The gothic style was seen as a part of a national serge of architectural expression. The gothic churches were seen as a high point in architectural history. The gothic style is important to history because it as a whole is an architectural system: plans, sections, facades, and details. The furniture as well matches the style and tendencies of the architecture. The gothic style is the last style of the medieval before the renaissance. In the book it talks about civic infrastructure, many urban designs are considered all medieval towns to be an example of laissez-faire capitalism. This is because of the aspects of irregular streets and squares. 

    A famous example is San Gimignano in Tuscany, it has all the features of a medieval town, the streets were not strict in following a geometrical pattern, they most likely would follow a foot path more giving it an irregular layout. Mainly rectangular in shape these towns had many typologies: gates, defensive walls, and the central feature, the commercial street. This street runs a full length from gate to gate. Over time of the gothic period there grew to be an appreciation of civic government and its architecture this included libraries, town halls, hospitals, and universities.  

    Gothic architecture relies on a pointed arch whose width can be manipulated in order to maintain a consistent height. When two-barrel vaults collide the points of intersection are rib vaults. Rather than having two intersecting cylinders, instead it creates an umbrella like form with spokes coming forth. Romanesque and Gothic styles tend to be very closely related, many Romanesque churches have Gothic additions. As well as Gothic churches being built on top of Romanesque structures. Gothic churches were the center of city life and created new rivals between city states and nations. 

Notre Dame de Paris is a great example of Gothic architecture, its founder Bishop Maurice de Sully. The facade of the building dates back to 1200-1250 and is a part of the early development of the gothic period. The facade is a thick heavy wall with cut windows. These windows had the appearance to be weightless, tall and filled with stained glass. The cathedrals tend to differ between different states, some had larger towers like in Germany. One cathedral I found interesting was the Barcelona Cathedral in Spain they tended to have a wider more complex plan. 

    Overall, gothic cathedrals had a basic floorplan and structural components similar to the Romanesque period. Had many vertical lines and high vaults, some rib vaulting. As well as pointed arches rather than rounded. 


One Step Further

I found the Architect by the name of Maurce de Sully, he was the architect of the Notre Dame Cathedral. This was a powerful time moving from the Romanesque period into the Gothic period. He built this as a religious image or symbol to the virgin Mary.