Gothic Architecture

Gothic architecture is a style in that flourished Europe during the mid-12^th Century to the 16^th Century. It is a design or style of masonry building characterized by cavernous spaces with expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery. The Gothic architecture evolved from the Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by the Renaissance architecture. The design has originated in France during the 12^th Century and until 16^th Century it was widely used in churches and cathedrals. Its most prominent features includes the rib vault, flying buttress and pointed or Gothic arch. These resolved the problems of building the very stall structures and allowed the weight of the roof to be counterbalanced by buttresses outside the building while preserving natural lights as much as possible.  The extensive use of the stained glasses and the rose window panels rendered startling sun-dappled interior effects.

The most fundamental element of Gothic style of architecture is the pointed arch, which was likely borrowed from the Islamic architecture that would have been seen in Spain at this time. So, rather than having massive drum like structures the columns as in the Romanesque churches, the new model could be more slender. The upper levels of the nave was thoroughly repeated with slim structure. So that the gallery and the clerestory would not seem to be overpowered at the lower arcade. The column were continued all the way to the roof and became a part of the vault.

The Abbey church of Saint Denis is known as the first Gothic structure, developed in the 12^th century by Abbot Suger.