1. Gothic Architecture

2. Gothic Divided in: Early Gothic High Gothic Italian Gothic Late Gothic
End of Gothic

3. Main characteristics Ribbed Vaults Pointed Arches Flying Buttresses
Rose Windows
Pinnacles
Buttresses
Gargoyles
Stained glass windows

4. Ribbed Vaults
These vaults needed less buttressing than the barrel vaults.
The weight is concentrated at the corner of the bay and the structure can be buttressed at intervals leaving more space for windows.
The ribs could be before the intervening space was filled in. Adding more of them distributed the weight and reinforce the vault.
Because of the ribs the vault’s surfaces could be built from lighter material.

5. Ribbed vaults

6. Flying Buttresses
To increase light and decrease the thick of the walls, the flying buttresses were developed.
This structures were an external structure composed of thin half arches, or flyers.
They supported the wall where the thrust of an interior arch or vault is greatest.

7. Flying Buttresses

8. Flying Buttresses (Notre Dame)

9. Pointed Arches
It is just an intersection of two arcs of nonconcentric circles.
The piers channel downward thrust the pointed arch, minimizing the lateral against the wall.
Unlike to round arches, this can be raised to any height regardless the distance between its supports.
As it is a very flexible structure, its potential to increase height is very big.

10. Pointed Arches

11. Stained-Glass Windows
They wanted light through colored glass.
Predominant colors are blue and red.
Light diffused throughout all the cathedral.
Stained-glass is translucent colored glass, cut to form a window design.
The colors are achieved mixing metallic oxides with glasses. It is cut very carefully by the artist to seem a face etc.
Then each piece fits into a wood or paper model and details are in black enamel.

12. Stained-Glass Windows
Firing and baking in a kiln were methods to harden and fused the stained-glass.
Then each piece is arranged on the model and joined by strips of lead.
Once every piece is together, they are framed by an iron armature and fastened within the tracery.

13. Stained-Glass Windows

14. Stained-Glass Windows (Notre Dame)