Modern Gothic

The beginning of the twentieth century brought many innovations to architecture. One of these innovations was steel framing. This framing replaced the structural functions of such Gothic elements as rib vaults and flying buttresses. If these architectural elements were used after the introduction of steel framing, it was only for their decorative appeal. The architectural convention of using Neo-Gothic decorative elements applied over a steel frame is evident in the Woolworth Building in New York City, which was build in 1907 by Cass Gilbert.

As the century progressed, the Neo-Gothic style was first overwhelmed and then replaced by Modernism. The square and rectangular buildings of this architectural style with their bare girders stood in contrast to the at times ornate styles of the previous period. Despite the rise of Modernism, the Gothic Revival continued to have an impact on twentieth century architecture, well into its latter half. This impact was in large part due to the sheer size of the Gothic Revival project that were still under construction following the rise of the new architectural era, much as the original Gothic architectural period had its own “survival” period.

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