Architecture at the V&A

The Art of Architecture

The art of architecture is about how a building's shape, decoration, features and materials come together and form a "look" or style.

Trafalgar Square is one of the most famous Urban spaces in the world.
Trafalgar Square is the symbolic heart of London and of the british nation. It is the place from where distances to London are measured. It is the backdrop to public celebrations and demonstrations. Yet it was not designed or executed at one time. Insteadt the architectural features of the square have developed over several centuries.

around Trafalgar Square

Gothic

The Gothic style began in the great medieval cathedrals of France in the 1140s and lasted until about 1500.
Gothic churches were triumphs of engineering in stone. Their style was based on the pointed arch and rib vault. These elements spread the physical load of the high walls, which were often shored up on the outside with elaborate buttresses.

Their interiors were lit by large areas of stained glass


http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/
http://www.cathedrale-reims.com/notre-dame-saint-jacques-reims/

Stained glass

Glass formed an essential part of Gothic churches. Builders and architects tried to leave as much space for windows as possible, until in some buildings the walls were almost entirely glass.
The windows formed enormous pictures. Their biblical and other subjects followed specific programmes and often matched the carved decoration. They also expressed the symbolic idea that 'God is Light'.

all text is a quote from the V&A