A European 12th-16thC architectural style, which arose around Paris following on from the Romanesque style, based on the pointed arch–an innovative engineering solution to achieve greater height and feeling of space.
Common features include the stone ribbed vault (a feat of weight distribution), the flying buttress (reducing the size of the masonry shell) and decorative tracery. Vilified by the subsequent rediscovery of classical forms, it witnessed a fashionable revival in the Victorian neo-gothic period (late 18th-late 19thC)–one of the best known examples being London’s Houses of Parliament, redesigned by James Wyatt between 1799-1801.