Rithvik Ghankot, Kushagra Ghosh, Arvind Rajaraman, Anthony Kim
Architecture
Gothic Architecture
Gothic Architecture evolved from the Romanesque architecture style during the prosperous and peaceful period of time during the middle ages. Despite the modern interpretation of the word, "Gothic," this architectural style brought beauty and light to European architecture. The most prominent features in Gothic architecture were the pointed arches which allowed the stress to be relieved from the rest of the building. This also allowed the columns that supported the arch to be shorter and the interior to look more slender. Because of the slender interior, the windows could be enlarged which allowed more light. The new era of architecture allowed for more beauty such as traceries, or designs that were carved and painted at the edges of statues and windows.
Grand, Tall Design
Some key features were constant in all buildings with Gothic architecture. To start with, most Gothic buildings were usually very grand and tall. Before Gothic architecture, buildings could not go very tall, because they were made of heavy stone walls. If the buildings were built tall, they would collapse in on themselves. With the invention of Gothic architecture, carpenters used new techniques to make their buildings grandiloquent and tall.
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Flying Buttress
Buttresses are external supports built into a structure, so that the building does not fall. These were usually built into or onto masonry walls, because stone is a very heavy material. The flying buttresses were an improved version of buttresses, because since Gothic buildings were very tall, they had to be really long and thick. These buttresses helped spread the weight of buildings by transferring a lot of it to the ground. These buttresses were also heavily decorated and elaborately designed.
Pointed Arch
The pointed arch distributed the force of bulky and heavy ceilings, and could support more weight than a standard pillar. These structures also let Gothic buildings allow for more vertical height. This is why buildings could be so tall, if they were based on Gothic architecture. Because the pointed arch was so important, they had to be aesthetically pleasing. In fact, they were very beautiful.
Vaulted Ceiling
Vaulted ceilings were extremely elegant and functional. The vaulted ceilings utilized the technology of the pointed arch to distribute the height and weight from the upper floors, into the ground. Vaulted ceilings came in all different shapes and sizes, because they needed to be specialized for what type of structure they are dealing with.
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Light, Airy Interior
Because of the features above, Gothic castles could be very open and hold a lot of space without collapsing. Before the invention of Gothic architecture, castles were dark and gloomy places, because the windows were usually tiny, letting minimal amount of light to come in. Any sort of larger windows would result in the collapsing of the castle. Since castles could not be built out of masonry, the roofs let water leak into the castle when it was raining. This resulted in mold forming on surfaces of the castles and the dampness increasing. Gothic architecture let buildings become taller and wider, so more can fit and more can be improved.
Gargoyles
Gargoyles were both decorations and working objects. Gargoyles are monstrous creatures that are attached on the tops of walls. They were used to transport the water from the roof, out to the ground. This helped prevent water and moss build-up. Besides looking great and doing work, they had another purpose. They were used to scare ignorant Medieval peasants into the church or cathedral. Many of the gargoyles had threatening poses and heinous features.
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