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Gothic VS Romanesque style Research

Presentation · August 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18423.11682

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Istanbul Technical University
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 Romanesque

VS

Gothic

By: Abdalrahman Alashi

 Point Of Gothic Romanesque
Comparison
Definition • At the end of the 12th century, the • From the 11th century, a new style of art spread throughout Western
Romanesque style gave way to the Gothic style, Europe called Romanesque.
which originated in France, and quickly spread • It was called Romanesque because it is reminiscent of Roman art.
throughout Europe. • Aims to spread religion and bring people closer to God
• Gothic sculpture had a religious and • The name “Romanesque” refers to the Roman-like appearance of
educational purpose. these buildings.
• In particular, they had concrete vaults, instead of wooden ceilings.
• In England, the Romanesque style is called Norman.

Architecture • The greatest number of surviving Gothic • Romanesque style, with evidence remaining of simple domestic
Scope buildings are churches. These range from tiny buildings, elegant town houses, grand palaces, commercial premises,
chapels to large cathedrals, and although many civic buildings, castles, city walls, bridges, village churches, abbey
have been extended and altered in different churches, abbey complexes and large cathedrals.
styles, demonstrating the form, character and • By far the greatest number of surviving Romanesque buildings are
decoration of Gothic architecture. churches. These range from tiny chapels to large cathedrals
• The Gothic style is most particularly associated
with the great cathedrals of Northern France,
the Low Countries, England and Spain, with
other fine examples occurring across Europe.
• Gothic developed primarily in ecclesiastical,
architecture with evidence remaining of simple
domestic buildings, elegant town houses, grand
palaces, commercial premises, civic buildings,
castles, city walls, bridges, village churches,
abbey churches, abbey complexes and large
cathedrals.

Architecture rising high above all the domestic structures and • Ecclesiastical and secular buildings, is one of massive solidity and
Features often surmounted by one or more towers and strength in which the loadbearing structural members are columns,
pinnacles and tall spires. emphasizes verticality pilasters and arches not the walls or sections of walls
and light.
• The walls of Romanesque buildings are often of massive thickness with
Stone skeleton comprising clustered columns, few and comparatively small openings. They are often double shells,
pointed ribbed vaults and flying buttresses. filled with rubble.

Plan contains a long nave making the body of the • Buttresses are not a highly significant feature as in Gothic architecture.
church, a transverse arm called the transept and, because of the massive nature of Romanesque walls
beyond it, an extension which may be called the
choir, chancel or presbytery. • The arches used in Romanesque architecture are nearly always
semicircular, for openings such as doors and windows, for vaults and
The nave is generally flanked on either side by for arcades. Wide doorways are usually surmounted by a semicircular
aisles, usually single, but sometimes double arch
• Arcades separates the nave from the aisles, and in large secular
The nave is interiors spaces, such as the great hall of a castle, supporting the
generally considerably taller than the aisles, timbers of a roof or upper floor. Arcades also occur in cloisters and
having clerestory windows which light the central atriums, enclosing an open space. the arcades that separate large
space. interior spaces of castles, is the alternation of piers and columns.
 Point Of Gothic Romanesque
Comparison
The eastern arm shows considerable diversity. In • In Romanesque architecture, piers were often employed to support
England it is generally long and may have two arches. They were built of masonry and square or rectangular in
distinct sections, both choir and section
presbytery.
• Columns are an important structural feature of Romanesque
Vaults: architecture. Colonnades and attached shafts are also used
The Gothic vault, unlike the semicircular structurally and for decoration.
vault of Roman and Romanesque buildings, can
be used to roof rectangular and irregularly shaped • The Corinthian capital is essentially round at the bottom where it sits
plans such as trapezoids. on a circular column and square at the top, where it supports the wall
or arch.
The other structural advantage is that the pointed
arch channels the weight onto the bearing piers or • Vaults:
columns at a steep angle. This enabled architects • Barrel vault: The simplest type of vaulted roof is the barrel vault in
to raise vaults much higher than was possible in which a single arched surface extends from wall to Wall
Romanesque architecture. • Groin vault: square in plan and is constructed of two barrel vaults
intersecting at right angles
• Ribbed vault: in England was to stilt the transverse ribs, maintaining a
horizontal central line to the roof like that of a barrel vault.
• Pointed arched vault: allowed the height of both diagonal and
transverse ribs to be varied in proportion to each other.

In Gothic architecture the pointed arch is used in Vaults Shapes:

every location where a vaulted shape is called for,
both structural and decorative. Gothic openings
such as doorways, windows, arcades and galleries
have pointed arches. Gothic vaulting above
spaces both large and small is usually supported
by richly moulded ribs.

A characteristic of Gothic church architecture is its

height, both absolute and in proportion to its
width, the verticality
suggesting an aspiration to Heaven.

The façade of a large church or cathedral, often

referred to as the West Front, is generally
designed to create a powerful impression on the
approaching worshipper,
demonstrating both the might of God and the
might of the institution that it represents
 Wells Cathedral Durham Cathedral

About Location: Wells, England, United Kingdom map Location Durham, England map
Date: 1180 to 1425 timeline Date 1093 to 1280 timeline
Building Type: large church, cathedral Building Type church, cathedral
Construction System: bearing masonry Construction System bearing masonry, cut stone
Style: English Gothic. Style Romanesque
Discussion “the construction of Wells Cathedral was completed in 1260 with the nave, Durham Cathedral, begun in 1093 and completed toward 1130, is the definitive building of the
the north porch and the west front. It has strongly marked English AngloNorman
characteristics, such as the stress on horizontal lines. From this point of Romanesque—indeed, one of the great structures of the period in Europe. Its scale is enormous,
view, the west front is typical: it unfolds impressively in width, punctuated by some 400 feet in length
six buttresses which are obscured in the and its forms overpowering.
luxurious sculpture.“ — John Julius Norwich. The World Atlas of Architecture. Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture: from Prehistory to PostModernism.
p220. P211-12.
2D Drawings

Pictures
 King's College Chapel Museum of Natural History

About Location Cambridge, England map Location London, England map

Date 1446 to 1515 timeline Date 1860 to 1880 timeline
Building Type church, chapel Building Type museum
Construction System masonry, cut stone Construction System iron frame, concrete vaults, terra cotta cladding
Style English Gothic Style Victorian German Romanesque, Romanesque Revival
Notes Romanesque symmetrical facade.
Discussion There are no spatial surprises in King's Chapel, for its open, rectangular The building has a bilaterally symmetrical plan around a central entrance which leads to a
interior space is immediately graspable. Yet this cathedrallike hall with grand staircase to second floor galleries. The street facade marches 680 feet
narrow, lofty, lengthy chapel is one of the great rooms in architecture. It along a Kensington street. Two three story wings of Sidelit galleries with tower pavilions at their ends
radiates light: some twothirds flank a slightly projecting central entrance with two towers around a recessed arched portal. Behind
of each of its four this layer, internal courtyards separate toplit
walls are of stained glass, which fills all the space between the buttresses. back galleries, which are parallel to the central cathedral gallery and perpendicular to the facade.
The facade's towers and those in the back which house stairs and mechanical shafts give the simple
rectangular massing a romantic and punctuated skyline.
2D Drawings

Pictures
 Westminster Palace, or Houses of Parliament St. GeorgeintheEast

About Location London, England, UK map Location Wapping, Stepney, England

Date 1045 to circa 1400 timeline Date 1714 to 1729 timeline
Building Type large church, cathedral Building Type church
Construction System cut stone bearing masonry Construction System bearing masonry
Context urban Style Romanesque
Style English Gothic with Benedictine planning
Discussion The abbey was started in about 1045 by King Edward I, who consolidated
Norman influences and the English kingdom.
The abbey continues as an active site of worship today. ----------------------

2D Drawings

-----------------------

Pictures
 Conclusion
Gothic Romanesque

Radiating chapels and apse: Unified, unbroken space. Separate compartments.

Vault: Groin-vaulted cathedrals. Mostly barrel-vaults, some groin-

vaults.

Arch type: Pointed arches. Rounded arches.

Main vault support: Exterior flying buttresses. Thick walls, buttresses.

Windows Large stained-glass windows. Small windows.

Elevation: Vertical, soaring. Horizontal, modest height.

Exterior: Ornate, delicate, lots of sculpture. Plain, little decoration, solid.

Sculptural decoration: More realistic proportions and Thin, elongated, abstract figures.
individualized features.

Mood: Tall, light-filled. Dark, gloomy.

Structure Pointed arches/(Stronger) Wooden roof(at start)

Ribs in roof/Reinforcing. Roman Arch
Thinner roof/walls Barrel Vault/groin vault
Larger Windows/Stained glass Thick Walls/small windows
Flying buttresses Buttresses
Rose windows Lantern tower
Clerestory windows(high up)

Shape of Church Cross Shape/Main aisle/side Cross Shape/Main aisle/side

aisles/transept/west works(two aisles/transept/west works(two
towers over main doorway, three towers over main doorway, three
portals and rose window) portals and rose window)

Sources:

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19737)
https://archive.org/details/analysisofgothic01branuoft
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/239678/Gothicarchitecture)
http://mappinggothic.org
Greatbuildings.com

Wilson, Christopher (2005). The Gothic Cathedral Architecture

of the Great Church. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 9780500276815.
Moore, Charles (1890). Development & Character of Gothic Architecture. Macmillan and Co. ISBN
1410207633.
Tonazzi, Pascal (2007) Florilège de NotreDame
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de Paris (anthologie), Editions Arléa, Paris, ISBN 2869597959