Gothic spires. The 108 meter tall spires of Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral tower above the city

A modern spire on the Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre

Gothic cathedral with 7 spires and dozens of pinnacles, by Viollet Le Duc

The spire of Salisbury cathedral, 123 meters tall

The Spire of Dublin is an example of the use of spires in a modern context

A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral ( Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Clermont-Ferrand) is a Gothic Cathedral, and French national monument Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre, on the Campus of Lancaster University in the United Kingdom is a unique building bringing together the many A pinnacle (from Latin pinnaculum, a little feather pinna compare Panache) is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc ( January 27 1814 &ndash September 17, 1879) was a French Architect and theorist famous for his "restorations" Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture The Spire of Dublin, officially titled the Monument of Light (An Túr Solais is a large stainless steel pin-like Monument in height located on the site of the Towers are tall human-made Structures that are always taller than they are wide usually by a significant Margin. Etymologically, the word is derived from Anglo-Saxon, so it is related to "spear," rather than the Romance languages and "spirit. The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all "

Symbolically, spires have two functions. The first is to proclaim a martial power. A spire, with its reminiscence of the spear point, gives the impression of strength. The second is to reach up toward the skies. The celestial and hopeful gesture of the spire is one reason for its association with religious buildings. A spire on a church or cathedral is not just a symbol of piety, but is often seen as a symbol of the wealth and prestige of the order, or patron who commissioned the building. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral Patronage is the support encouragement privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization

As an architectural ornament, spires are most consistently found on Christian churches, where they replace the steeple. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A steeple, in Architecture, is a tall tower on a building often topped by a Spire. Although any denomination may choose to use a spire instead of a steeple, the lack of a cross on the structure is more common in Roman Catholic and other pre-Reformation churches. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time (Note, in the photo at right of Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre, that the spire was originally intended to serve as a platform for three bare crosses in imitation of Calvary. Lancaster University Chaplaincy Centre, on the Campus of Lancaster University in the United Kingdom is a unique building bringing together the many "Golgotha" redirects here For other uses see Golgotha (disambiguation. The centre is ecumenical, with Anglican/Methodist and Roman Catholic chapels. A decision to include a kosher kitchen and rooms used by Muslims and other religious groups led to the third cross being converted to a spike before completion of the building. ) The battlements of cathedrals featured multiple spires in the Gothic style (in imitation of the secular military fortress). This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period.

Currently, the largest spire to be part of the architecture of another building is the spire mounted on the recently completed Q1 residential tower on the Gold Coast in Australia. Q1 (meaning Queensland Number One) is a skyscraper located in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. This article is about the Australian city Gold Coast For other uses see Gold Coast. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.

Spires are also common and notable as solo structures. After contact with Egyptian architecture and the mania for Egyptian artifacts in the west in the 19th century, towers in the shape of obelisks enjoyed a vogue. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar An obelisk (from Greek ὀβελίσκος - obeliskos, diminutive of ὀβελός - obelos, "spit nail pointed pillar" When original obelisks could be imported, such as Cleopatra's needles in London and New York City, they were, but spires as memorial structures were popular in funerary architecture and public monuments (e. Cleopatra's Needle ("L'aiguille de Cléopâtre" in French is the popular name for each of three Ancient Egyptian Obelisks re-erected in London London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The City of New York g. the Washington monument in Washington, DC) into the 20th century. The Washington Monument is a large tall sand-colored Obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The twentieth century of the Common Era began on In the Modernist movements of the 20th century, office towers in the form of free-standing spires also began to be built. Modernism describes an array of Cultural movements rooted in the changes in Western society in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Some famous buildings, such as the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington, use the spire as a testimony of civic power and hope; in the case of this example, it is also a reference to Seattle's participation in aerospace. The Space Needle (often called just "the Needle" by locals is a Tower in Seattle Washington, and is a major landmark of the Pacific Northwest This article is about the field of research and industry for the corporation see The Aerospace Corporation Aerospace comprises the A 1,776-foot (541-m) "Freedom Tower" is a projected feature of the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and is to be topped by a spire. 1 World Trade Center, or the Freedom Tower, is the main building of the new World Trade Center complex currently under construction in Lower Manhattan in

Gothic spires

A spire declared the presence of the gothic church at a distance and advertised its connection to heaven. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. The tall, slender pyramidal twelfth-century spire on the south tower Chartres Catedral is one of the earliest spires. Openwork spires were an astounding architectural innovation, beginning with the early fourteenth-century spire at Freiburg cathedral, in which the pierced stonework was held together by iron cramps. The openwork spire, according to Robert Bork,^[1] represents a "radical but logical extension of the Gothic tendency towards skeletal structure. " The organic skeleton of Antoni Gaudi's phenomenal spires at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona represent an outgrowth of this Gothic tendency. The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan nameTemplo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" often simply Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Designed and begun by Gaudi in 1884, they were not completed until the 20th century. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

In England, "spire" immediately brings to mind Salisbury Cathedral. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Salisbury Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture Its 403-foot (123-m) spire, built between 1320 and 1380, is the tallest of the period anywhere in the world, and in its way is as remarkable as the Coliseum in Rome or the parthenon in Athens. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's A similar but slightly smaller spire was built at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, England, which indicates the popularity of the spire spreading across the country during this period. "Leedon" redirects here For the record label see Leedon Records. Bedfordshire (abbreviated Beds) is a County in England that forms part of the East of England region. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland We will never know the true popularity of the medieval spire, as many more collapsed within a few years of building than ever survived to be recorded. In the United Kingdom spires generally tend to be reserved for ecclesiastical building, with the exception to this rule being the spire at Burghley House, built for Elizabeth I's Lord Chancellor in 1585. Burghley House is a grand 16th-century English Country house near the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom.

In the early Renaissance the spire was not restricted to the United Kingdom: the fashion spread across Europe. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In Antwerp the 123-m spire was the tallest structure in the low countries for over five centuries. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt Between 1221 and 1457 richly decorated open spires were built for the Cathedral of Burgos in Spain, while at Ulm Cathedral in Germany the 529-foot (161-m) spire was built in the imported French Gothic style between 1377 and 1417. History Early man of Neanderthal occupied sites around Burgos as early as 800000 years ago Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Ulm (ˈʊlm is a City in the German Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Interestingly, the Italians never really embraced the spire as an architectural feature, preferring the classical styles. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The gothic style was a feature of Germanic northern Europe and was never to the Italian taste, and the few gothic buildings in Italy always seem incongruous.

The blend of the classical styles with a spire occurred much later. In 1822, in London, John Nash built All Souls' Church, Langham Place, a circular classical temple, with Ionic columns surmounted by a spire supported by Corinthian columns. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. John Nash ( 18 January 1752 – 13 May 1835) was an English Architect responsible for much of the layout of Regency The Ionic order column forms one of the three '''orders''' or '''organizational systems''' of Classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized Whether this is a happy marriage of styles or a rough admixture is a question of individual taste.

During the 19th century the Gothic revival knew no bounds. With advances in technology, steel production, and building techniques the spire enjoyed an unprecedented surge through architecture, Cologne Cathedral's famous spires, designed centuries earlier, were finally completed in this era.

Spires have never really fallen out of fashion. In the twentieth century reinforced concrete offered new possibilities for openwork spires.

Image Gallery

The Wrigley Building is a skyscraper in Chicago's Loop topped with a Renaissance inspired spire

The Flamboyant spires of Burgos Cathedral

The Solidarity Tower of Chicago's Gateway Theatre's is an exact replica of the Baroque spire of Warsaw's Royal Castle. The Wrigley Building (410 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois) is a Skyscraper located directly across Michigan Avenue from A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable Building. There is no official definition or a precise cutoff height above which a building may clearly be classified as a skyscraper Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Flamboyant is the name given to a florid style of late Gothic Architecture in vogue in France, Spain and Portugal during The Burgos Cathedral (Catedral de Burgos is a Gothic-style cathedral in Burgos, Spain Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Gateway Theatre, now part of the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc Warsaw (Warszawa; also known by other names) is the Capital and Largest city of Poland. The Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie is a Royal palace and official residence of the Polish monarchs, located at the Plac Zamkowy in

The spire of the Palace of Culture and Science is Warsaw's most recognizable landmark

See also

• Flèche
• fr:Clocher tors : a full list of crooked sprires in Europe (in French)

Notes