The next period of French Gothic architecture, from the second half of the 13th century until the 1370s, was termed Rayonnant ("Radiant"), describing the tendency toward the use of more and more stained glass and less masonry in the design of the structure, until the walls seemed entirely made of glass.
 The most celebrated example was the chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, attached to the royal residence on the Palais de la Cité.
 An elaborate system of exterior columns and arches reduced the walls of the upper chapel to a thin framework for the enormous windows.
The weight of each of the masonry gables above the archivolt of the windows also helped the walls to resist the thrust and to distribute the weight.

Another landmark of the Rayonnant Gothic are the two rose windows on the north and south of the transept of Notre-Dame Cathedral, whereas earlier rose windows, like those of Amiens Cathedral, were framed by stone and occupied only a portion of the wall, these two windows, with a delicate lacelike framework, occupied the entire space between the pillars.
The next period of French Gothic architecture, from the second half of the 13th century until the 1370s, was termed Rayonnant ("Radiant"), describing the tendency toward the use of more and more stained glass and less masonry in the design of the structure, until the walls seemed entirely made of glass.  The most celebrated example was the chapel of Sainte-Chapelle, attached to the royal residence on the Palais de la Cité.  An elaborate system of exterior columns and arches reduced the walls of the upper chapel to a thin framework for the enormous windows. The weight of each of the masonry gables above the archivolt of the windows also helped the walls to resist the thrust and to distribute the weight.
Another landmark of the Rayonnant Gothic are the two rose windows on the north and south of the transept of Notre-Dame Cathedral, whereas earlier rose windows, like those of Amiens Cathedral, were framed by stone and occupied only a portion of the wall, these two windows, with a delicate lacelike framework, occupied the entire space between the pillars.
French Gothic architecture