Westminster Abbey Engineering: From Buttresses to Weston Tower

Gothic is an engineering idea wearing beauty as camouflage.

Structural Kit

• Pointed arches distribute load efficiently.
• Rib vaults channel forces to clustered piers.
• External buttresses counter thrust discreetly.

The Weston Tower

• A contemporary glass‑and‑stone spiral to upper galleries.
• Harmonizes with historic fabric while clarifying circulation.

Bottom Line

Form follows physics—and then becomes poetry.