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Document Type

Forum Theme 1

Abstract

In these remarks I will discuss Gothic architecture, geometry, and what I call the aesthetics of transcendence. I’ll focus mainly on the design of great buildings like Strasbourg Cathedral, whose spire is the tallest surviving work of the Middle Ages, a 466-foot symphony of intricately carved stone. I also want to talk about how I came to study and admire this material, starting out from a curiously backdoor approach involving the sciences. Ultimately, therefore, I will argue that Gothic architecture can be fruitfully compared to a variety of things, such as fractals, heavy metal guitar music, and dinosaurs. These are some of my very favorite things, and I think that they actually go together in some important ways.

Publication Date

2011-2012

Journal Title

UNIversitas

Volume

7

Issue

1

First Page

1

Last Page

21

Copyright

©2011-2012 Robert Bork

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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