A New Material Interpretation of Twelfth-Century Architecture: Reconstructing the Abbey of Saint-Denis

Jason Crow

ISBN 10: 1041175051 / ISBN 13: 9781041175056

Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2025

About this Item

New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days.

Seller Inventory # B9781041175056

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A New Material Interpretation of Twelfth-Century Architecture: Reconstructing the Abbey of Saint-Denis
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1041175051
• ISBN 13: 9781041175056
• Binding: Paperback / softback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 410 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Today, we perceive Gothic cathedrals as light-filled forms representing the sacred. The colored light projected from brightly-colored stained glass windows onto the walls and floors of these buildings suggests the presence of divinity. Suger (1081–1151CE), the abbot of the monastery of Saint-Denis, is credited with originating Gothic architecture. However, focus on form and structure has elided attention to the material out of which medieval churches were made. When Suger describes the early church he was replacing, he says that the gold and gems it contained beamed outwardly with a gleaming light that filled the eye. When he restored his church and filled it with the shining souls of his ecclesia, he repeated God’s divine act of creation. His restored church imitated the precious stones that could be shaped and polished to reveal divine light. By crafting stone, Suger fulfilled the divine plan to make heaven on earth. This book • Reassesses the origins and significance of “Gothic” architecture • Approaches the interpretation of the twelfth-century church through its materiality Integrates the twelfth-century conceptualization of architecture within art, science, and theology.

About the Author

Dr. Jason Robert Crow is a senior lecturer at Monash University and a licensed architect. His research focuses on the impact of technological changes on material ontology and artisanal epistemology. Understanding these changes assists in defining the role of craft in architectural design.