Westminster Abbey Engineering: From Buttresses to Weston Tower

Understand Westminster Abbey’s structure—rib vaults and buttresses—and how the Weston Tower opens the triforium to visitors today.

12/2/2025

16 min read

Modern Weston Tower rising beside Westminster Abbey stonework

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.

Buttresses

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.

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Architecture & Craft Editor

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