ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Gothic double

Imagine you have a big, beautiful church with two tall towers on either side of the front entrance. These towers are called spires. The Gothic double refers to the special style of architecture used to make these spires look even more impressive.

To create this style, architects would design the spires to have two parts: an inner stone structure and an outer layer of decorative stonework called tracery. The inner structure provides the stability and support, while the tracery adds an intricate design to the outside.

The tracery is made up of small, delicate stone carvings carefully arranged to create a pattern. It might look like lace or spiderwebs or other intricate designs, depending on the artist's vision. These carvings are usually quite challenging to make, so they are often done by highly skilled sculptors.

Overall, the Gothic double is a way to create a sense of grandeur and awe in the architecture of a building, especially a church or cathedral. It takes a lot of hard work and skill to create this style, but the results are truly breathtaking!
Related topics others have asked about: