Gothic Rib Vault Architecture

Timeline

1. c. 1140–1200Abbey of Saint-Denis · Île-de-FranceAt Saint-Denis, Sens, and elsewhere, rib vaults combined with pointed arches and flying buttresses allowed naves to rise and large windows to be opened, establishing the structural language of Gothic churches.
2. c. 1220–1280Notre-Dame de Paris · ParisCathedrals at Paris, Reims, and Amiens adopted more complex vault compartmentalization, with finer vault geometry, reaching the High Gothic peak in nave height and window area.
3. 1331–1340Exeter Cathedral · DevonIn the 1330s, English Decorated Gothic and continental building sites advanced rib vault construction in parallel; the mobility of craft guilds spread vault module and centering practices across the continent.
4. c. 1400–1500St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague · BohemiaIn the Late Gothic phase, rib vaults became more decorative; star vaults and fan vaults further developed in English Perpendicular and Central European churches, still following the rib-based load-transfer logic.