Gothic Architecture

By Jackie Craven, About.com Guide

In order to prevent the outward collapse of the arches, Gothic architects began using a revolutionary flying buttress system. Freestanding brick or stone supports were attached to the exterior walls by an arch or a half-arch.

In this view of the Sainte-Chapelle in Riom, France, you can see the broad masonry buttresses extending from the stone pillars to the main wall of the cathedral. The Sainte-Chapelle in Riom is modeled after Louis IX's palace chapel in Paris.