Analysis of The Basilica of St. Denis - 1477 Words

Ziggy Marley once said, â€Å"God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.† In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and â€Å"heavenly†. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come†¦show more content†¦The shift brought the transformation of thick columns to much thinner and â€Å"lighter† columns (Blankenbehler). However, before this architectural movement can begin, Abbot Suger strug gled to reconstruct and synthesize the style of the ancient building with his ideas of modern designs. He knew that the freshness of these new designs would bring beauty and spaciousness. He wanted people to be amazed at the transformation of the once small, but soon to be large and wide feel of the basilica. To create the wide feel, Abbot Suger issued the ceiling to have a complicated web of interlocked and pointed vaults. He also chose to have arches with points so that the basilica would not need thick walls to support the arch. Thick walls would make the interior look crowded and small, something Suger did not want. By having the pointed arches, those would take the weight of the ceiling and distribute the weight across rather than being pulled down. This allowed for thin and elegant looking columns, for they were able to support the ceiling because the weight of it was dispersed. He envisioned the structure to have high ceilings, which would be supported with thinner columns (B irth of the Gothic: Abbot Suger and the Ambulatory at St. Denis). Suger also brought in the idea of having tall towers so that the building would look like it was reaching for the heavens. By reaching the heavens, it brought this concept of being closer to God and reassuring the people’sShow MoreRelatedCritical Analysis Of A Gothic Inspired Building828 Words   |  4 PagesVAH 2253 Critical Analysis of a Gothic-Inspired Building in London, Ontario - — St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica Jiaying Hou (250628040) 2015/3/18 â€Æ' St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica, located in London, Ontario, Canada, is the Cathedral for the Catholic Diocese of London and Bishop is Ronald P. Fabbro, C.S.B. â€Å"†¦ February 15, 1880, Bishop Walsh announces plans to build a new Cathedral, Joseph Connolly is named architect. †¦ June 28, 1885, the new Cathedral is dedicated and opened; †¦ October 6,Read MoreThe Basilica Of St Denis2337 Words   |  10 PagesIn this essay I intend to compare and contrast the Basilica of St. Sernin and Basilica of St Denis in France with references to how they differ structurally (as Romanesque and Gothic buildings respectively) followed by critical analysis of the advancements in architectural construction methods. The progression in architectural capability from Romanesque to Gothic led to a change in how religious architecture was approached spatially, with far greater emphasis on the use of light and a desire for