Gothic architecture, Augustus Pugin argued, operated on the principles that “there should be no features about a building which are not necessary for convenience, construction, or propriety” and that “all ornament should consist of enrichment of the essential construction of the building.” Classical architecture, he thought, failed to achieve this, because useful structures were submerged and hidden; by contrast, the flying buttress is a structural element turned into a beautiful ornament.
John Hughes ( End of Work ) says, “Precisely because the Gothic spirit is unconcerned with artificial uniformity and symmetry, it can adapt itself unashamedly to real situations and needs, making them into occasions of beauty.”
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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