Gothic Era

Paris was considered the central hub of Gothic design. There was a lot going on all around Europe at this time, and the churches were the center of city life, which sparked competition among cathedral designs. This was also a time where religion became a major religious player- churches were no longer just places of worship but places of wealth and power. How far we've come since praying under the city streets of Rome!

Back to the architecture though, Gothic cathedrals were extremely grandiose. Although the layouts were similar to those of the Romanesque period, they started included beautiful stained glass windows, which were meant to be very ethereal, and give church goers a sense of being one with those they worshiped. The arches became more pointed, the vaults were higher, and there were the addition of gargoyles, which I think are synonymous with Gothic design.

Gargoyle at the St.-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk, Ostend, Belgium

Although gargoyles have a little bit of mythology behind them, they also actually served an architectural purpose- they would deflect rainwater from the building which helped keep the mortar from eroding. Something I didn't know before looking into this chapter further!

The most famous example of Parisian Gothic architecture is the Notre Dame de Paris, which I found a great video on, here.

Enjoy!

Here's a really great bed frame inspired by Gothic arches. I actually would really love to own this bed for myself.


Other blogs- I looked at Yo's blog on the Gothic period and I enjoyed his inclusion on Gothic furniture. He explains how high back chairs designed in the Gothic style actually reclined slightly back, which would make things more comfortable for those using the chair than the traditional 90* angle chair.