Final answer:
Flying buttresses are crucial for Gothic church architecture, B. transferring lateral forces to exterior supports and allowing thinner walls with large windows for divine light. They are fundamental to achieving verticality and stability in these edifices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Flying buttresses are an essential structural component in Gothic church architecture, serving as more than just decorative elements.
They work in tandem with ribbed vaults and pointed arches to ensure the stability of these tall structures. The main function of flying buttresses is to B. transfer the lateral forces from the walls to exterior supports, thereby stabilizing the building.
They allowed the walls to be thinner, which opened up space for large stained glass windows and promoted interior illumination. More light was not only an aesthetic choice but also a theological one, as light was seen as an expression of the divine.
Beth explains that the Gothic architect's goal was to create an interior that gave a sense of heaven on earth, which flying buttresses facilitated by supporting the building from the outside.
Steven highlighted that flying buttresses enable the weight of the building to be redirected to the foundations, thus allowing for more substantial stained glass installations in the thin walls.
This distribution of weight became a standard during the Gothic era to resolve the issue of wall fracturing and accommodate architectural innovations.