Pointed-Arch Ribbed Vault

Timeline

1. c. 1141–1150Saint-Denis · Seine-Saint-DenisIn early Gothic projects such as Saint-Denis, ribs combined with pointed arches were first systematically used to share the vault's weight, allowing walls to open high windows and working with flying buttresses to transmit lateral forces.
2. c. 1160–1250Paris · ParisCathedrals such as Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres, and Reims covered naves and aisles with four- or six-rib vaults, making the rib grid the modular unit of design and construction.
3. c. 1250–1500Western Europe · Western EuropeVariants such as radiating ribs, star-shaped rib nets, and fan vaults appeared in England, Germany, and elsewhere; the structural logic became more decorative but still centered on ribs channeling force.