Sayre BP6 IAR 221

The Gothic Cathedral: Region Defining Design

As with defining species of animals, the same can be said of the Gothic Cathedral. Depending on where that Cathedral comes from determines its evolution, just like animals adapting to specific environments (pause and reflect: is it wrong to use metaphors between science and religion?). The species, be it animal or architecture, is then broken down into its individual phylum, class, order, etc., depending on how it differs from others of the same species. It is different from others due to how it is influenced be it environment for animals, or influences from previous architecture, the designer, and various other impressions for Cathedrals.

The Gothic Cathedral's beginnings were found in new ways "to integrate a number of improvements in late Romanesque church architecture, including pointed arches and rib vaulting" (Roth 2007, p. 232). The idea was to create a lighter looking building, defying gravity, architecture that Roth expresses as being visually transparent, and with the advent of stained glass this divine aim could be achieved. This very basic definition of a Gothic Cathedral would be where the two cathedrals we examined in class would meet, and through differences in their regional influence, designers, would branch off into their own species.

Salisbury, England Vs Cologne, Germany 

Salisbury, England. Ground plan depicting also the arches, thus

allowing the viewer to see the necessary support structure.                                               

Cologne, Germany. This plan also allows for support viewing. Winged buttresses are shown on the outer layers which show what was needed to attain Cologne's great heights.

Edging away from basic designs these two Cathedrals display the marks of the region they were developed from. The Salisbury Cathedral is affected by many regional and cultural influences. The building was unrestricted by a heavily urbanized environment and thus had a great amount of space as compared to its continental counterparts. Built outside of the towns in the area once it was completed a town grew up around it which is a very different turn of events than those which happened in Cologne. The destruction of buildings occupying the space where the Cologne Cathedral now sits is a testament to the highly urbanized environment it occupied. This may have influenced the design of both buildings as Salisbury concentrated more on the horizontal and Cologne the vertical. Salisbury was heavily influenced by Cistercian monastic models a concept which Roth states has heavy influence on other English structures. This influenced the design by including double transepts which are the crosses that cut across the Cathedral’s length. Important differences are also found at the east or Altar end of the Cathedrals as the outside of the Salisbury is flat and full of stained-glass, the Cologne is rounded off on the outside. The vertical achievement of Cologne made it one of the tallest buildings in Europe and one of the largest ratios of height to width being 3.6:1. Assisting in this achievement are the numerous flying buttresses which far outnumber those in Salisbury. I feel that this gives the Cologne Cathedral a more traditional Gothic look. These buildings were also influenced by the different lead designers of the buildings as the construction took decades to a century, they would have grown older.

Salisbury, England shows the finished design and vertical achievements from the ground.

http://www.wallpaperweb.org/wallpaper/known_places/salisbury-cathedral-wiltshire-england_1600x1200_23003.htm

Cologne Cathedral. The majesty of this building is definitely captured as it rises well above the surrounding region. The pure extravagance makes this a definite milepost of Gothic architecture.

http://rovon.co.nz/germany_main.htm

The differences in design here are definite influences of the region in which they were made. Construction was altered by the social, spatial and aspect of time and thus holds true to the heavy influence of the area.

This map depicts the over time changes that would have gone into influencing the construction, the architects, the workers and those who would have the church constructed. Each picture is a step into introducing the completed cathedral.