Amiens Cathedral
Rib Vault
Finished 1233/6
Lester's note: As it is perfected in the thirteenth century at Amiens and elsewhere, the Gothic rib vault is an extremely elegant structural solution based on a simple combination of diagonal and transverse arches. Together these arches channel all the weight of the vault into slender piers, leaving the intervening wall space free for large windows. Probably the structural foundation of the ribs provide a permanent centering on which to erect the vaults, They also reinforce the thin masonry vault shell at the creases where stresses are critical.
Lester, Tulane