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 OgeeThree-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 faade. 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 faade Faade
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 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 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.
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