GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE Revision

Introduction Gothic Art is the expression of the new city life It is going to have to different areas: Civilian Religious

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

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

Architectonical elements Lancet arches Tudor Ogee Three-centered

Architectonical elements Windows Gargoiles Gablet Capital

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.

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 façade.

Cathedral The plans can be: Basilical Saloon

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

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.

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

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 Pinnacle Flying buttress

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

Cathedral Crossing Spires Transept Ambulatory Clerestory Tribune Gargoiles Apse Radial chapels Rose window Nave Lateral façade Façade Flying butresses

Civilian Architecture Its development is consequence of trade renaissance development of cities government Main buildings are Palaces Town halls Markets

Civilian Architecture Town halls were the residence of the city’s 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

Civilian Architecture Palaces were the residences of the nobility They lose their defensive character

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

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 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

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 and Lady Chapels tacked 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.

Italian Gothic It uses polychrome 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 symmetrical and have few and widely spaced columns. The proportions are generally mathematically simple, based on the square, the arches are almost always equilateral. It may 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 are used, the decoration is fresco or mosaic.

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. Cathedrals tend not to have strongly projecting transepts. There are also many hallenkirke without clerestorey windows.

Spanish Gothic Spanish Gothic cathedrals are of spacial complexity. They are comparatively short and wide, and are often completely surrounded by chapels. Spanish Cathedrals are stylistically diverse. Influences 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, There are spires of German style. Few pinnacles. There are often towers and domes of a great variety of shapes and structural invention rising above the roof.