Buttress

External support for walls.

Overview

Buttresses, built with stone, reinforce walls, enabling taller structures in Gothic architecture.

Core Characteristics

• Structural reinforcement.
• Enables height.
• Gothic prevalence.

Notable Examples

• Notre Dame (France, 1345, flying buttresses).
• Cologne Cathedral (Germany, 1880, Gothic buttresses).

Architectural Connections

• Gothic: Structural focus.
• Religious: Cathedrals.
• Gothic Architecture: Core movement.

Influence and Legacy

Led by Abbot Suger, it revolutionizes Gothic design.

Related Concepts & Techniques

Buttressing (technique), Structuralism (theory), Wall (element), Neo-Gothic (movement)