HISTORY OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

Cathedral, Bourges No.1

• Cathedral of Saint-Etienne in Bourges, used to call Cathedral of Bourges, is located about 200km south of Paris.
  Cathedral of Bourges is, together with Cathedral Chartres, the first cathedral of high-gothic era.
  Cathedral of Bourges had peculiar style in contrast with Cathedral of Chartres which became a starting point of the typical French Gothic style.
  
  
• The construction begun in 1195. The choir was completed in 1214 and the nave was completed in 1225-50 but the west facade was continued construction untill 1270's.
  In 1505 the north tower fell down and rebuilt in 1542.

• West facade.

• West facade, night view.

• The cathedral has very simple plan, double side aisles, double ambulatory and no transept. It is said that the source of inspiration for these idea might be come from the plan of Notre-Dame at Paris
  Though, the interior is quite different from Notre-Dame at Paris.
  
  
• The volume of the nave is almost same as that of Chartres, 15m width and 37m height.
  But the height of arcade is 20m, which is 6m higher than Chartres's, so that the space of the isles are more combined with the nave visually.
  The space of the nave obtain the lateral perspective and great unity because of lost Crossing.
  
  The ceiling height of the first isle is 21.3m and second isle's is 9.3m. The difference of the ceiling height between the first isle and second isle could make the triforium and the clerestory at the second isles as well as at the first isles. It made the windows of the nave, first isle and second isle setback and the space of the nave could have the unique pyramidal space.

[No.1]West facade1	: [No.2]West facade2
[No.3]West facade1: night view	: [No.4]Exterior: Southeast view, South view
[No.5]Exterior: North view	: [No.6]Exterior: North entrance, South view
[No.7]Exterior: Apse	: [No.8]Interior: Nave
[No.9]Interior: Nave: Stained glass 1	: [No.10]Interior: Nave: Stained glass 2

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