I am studying Gothic architecture, and Im wondering — how are flying buttresses constructed?
For those of you who aren’t up to scratch on Gothic architecture, a flying buttress is a projecting masonry structure built on the outside of a cathedral to receive the gravitational thrust of the roof. Buttresses were used to support church walls externally, creating a space inside for impressive atriums filled with shimmering stained glass windows. You can see images of what we’re describing on this page and this page. Pretty cool, huh? Instead of using big bulky stone blocks to support the ceiling of a church, these flying buttresses support the church from the outside. This leaves you lots of room to go crazy with colorful windows and extra-wide pews. Feel free to go on a virtual tour of a Gothic cathedral such as Chartres, Canterbury, or Westminster Abbey. Now, Erin, as to how they were built, that’s a bit tric
