Spire
A tall, pointed structure atop a building or tower.
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. Spires may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape, and are typically made of stonework, brickwork, or timber with metal cladding, ceramic tiling, roof shingles, or slates. The Gothic church spire originated in the 12th century as a simple four-sided pyramidal structure, gradually becoming taller, slimmer, and more complex, with innovations such as openwork spires and crown spires.
- earliest_attested_english_usage
- 1590s
- earliest_known_form
- 14th century Middle Low German 'spir'
- old_english_cognate
- spir (sprout, shoot, stalk of grass)
- common_materials
- stonework, brickwork, timber with metal cladding, ceramic tiling, shingles, slates
Lore & Background
The Gothic church spire originated in the 12th century as a simple, four-sided pyramidal structure on top of a church tower. It could be constructed of masonry, as at Salisbury Cathedral, or of wood covered with lead, as at Notre-Dame de Paris. Gradually, spires became taller, slimmer, and more complex, with triangular sections of masonry called broaches added to the sides. In the 12th and 13th centuries, ornament such as gabled dormers and slender pinnacles were added.
Reader's Guide
Spires have been significant architectural features since the 12th century, particularly in Gothic church architecture. They served both symbolic and structural purposes, often reaching great heights and requiring innovative engineering to withstand wind and weight. The collapse of several English Gothic spires, such as those at Malmesbury Abbey, Lincoln Cathedral, and Chichester Cathedral, highlighted their fragility. The openwork spire, beginning with Freiburg Minster, represented a radical extension of the Gothic tendency toward skeletal structure. Spires continue to be built in various forms, including clad spires, broach spires, and Rhenish helms, reflecting regional traditions and architectural evolution.
Did You Know?
- The word 'spire' is attested in English since the 1590s, derived from Middle Low German 'spir' and related to Old English 'spir' meaning a sprout or stalk of grass.
- The openwork spire at Freiburg Minster was a notable innovation, using pierced stonework held together by iron cramps.
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