The birthplace of the new style was the Basilica of Saint-Denis in the Île-de-France, not far north of Paris where, in 1137, the Abbé Suger began the reconstruction of the Carolingian-era abbey church.
Just to the west of the original church, he began building a new structure with two towers, and then, from 1140 to 1144, he began to reconstruct the old church.
Most of his modifications were traditional, but he made one remarkable innovation; he decided to create a new choir at the east end of the building, using the pointed arch and the rib vault in the construction of the choir and the ambulatory with radiating chapels.
 The use of rib vaults, and buttresses outside supporting the walls, allowed the elimination of the traditional walls between the chapels, and the installation of large stained glass windows.
This gave the ambulatory a striking openness, light,  and greater height.

The builders then constructed the nave of the church, also using rib vaults.
It was constructed in four levels;  the arcades on the ground floor  whose two rows of columns received the ribs of the ceiling vaults; the tribune above it, a gallery which concealed the massive contreforts or buttresses which pressed against the walls; the triforium, another, narrower gallery;  and, just below the ceiling, the claire-voie or clerestorey, where the windows were located.
The resulting greater height and light differed dramatically from the heaviness of Romanesque architecture.
 On the facade of the church, Suger introduced another innovation; he used columns in the form of statues of saints to decorate the portal of the church, adding a new element of verticality to the facade.
This idea too was soon copied in new cathedrals.

The first cathedral constructed in the new style was  Sens Cathedral, begun between 1135 and 1140 and consecrated in 1160.
It featured a Gothic choir, and six part rib vaults over the nave and collateral aisles, alternating pillars and doubled columns to support the vaults, and flying buttresses.
One of the builders believed to have worked on that Cathedral, William of Sens, later traveled to England and became the architect who reconstructed the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in the Gothic style.
 Sens Cathedral was soon was soon followed by  Senlis Cathedral (begun 1160), and the most prominent of all, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (begun 1160).
Their builders abandoned the traditional plans and introduced the new Gothic elements.
 The builders of Notre Dame went further by introducing the flying buttress, heavy columns of support outside the walls connected by arches to the walls, which received and counterbalanced the thrust from the rib vaults of the roof.
 This allowed the builders to construct higher walls and larger windows.
The birthplace of the new style was the Basilica of Saint-Denis in the Île-de-France, not far north of Paris where, in 1137, the Abbé Suger began the reconstruction of the Carolingian-era abbey church. Just to the west of the original church, he began building a new structure with two towers, and then, from 1140 to 1144, he began to reconstruct the old church. Most of his modifications were traditional, but he made one remarkable innovation; he decided to create a new choir at the east end of the building, using the pointed arch and the rib vault in the construction of the choir and the ambulatory with radiating chapels.  The use of rib vaults, and buttresses outside supporting the walls, allowed the elimination of the traditional walls between the chapels, and the installation of large stained glass windows. This gave the ambulatory a striking openness, light,  and greater height.
The builders then constructed the nave of the church, also using rib vaults. It was constructed in four levels;  the arcades on the ground floor  whose two rows of columns received the ribs of the ceiling vaults; the tribune above it, a gallery which concealed the massive contreforts or buttresses which pressed against the walls; the triforium, another, narrower gallery;  and, just below the ceiling, the claire-voie or clerestorey, where the windows were located. The resulting greater height and light differed dramatically from the heaviness of Romanesque architecture.  On the facade of the church, Suger introduced another innovation; he used columns in the form of statues of saints to decorate the portal of the church, adding a new element of verticality to the facade. This idea too was soon copied in new cathedrals.
The first cathedral constructed in the new style was  Sens Cathedral, begun between 1135 and 1140 and consecrated in 1160. It featured a Gothic choir, and six part rib vaults over the nave and collateral aisles, alternating pillars and doubled columns to support the vaults, and flying buttresses. One of the builders believed to have worked on that Cathedral, William of Sens, later traveled to England and became the architect who reconstructed the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in the Gothic style.  Sens Cathedral was soon was soon followed by  Senlis Cathedral (begun 1160), and the most prominent of all, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris (begun 1160). Their builders abandoned the traditional plans and introduced the new Gothic elements.  The builders of Notre Dame went further by introducing the flying buttress, heavy columns of support outside the walls connected by arches to the walls, which received and counterbalanced the thrust from the rib vaults of the roof.  This allowed the builders to construct higher walls and larger windows.
French Gothic architecture