The principle behind the Gothic style was to reach greater internal heights. However, “medieval churches had solid stone vaults (the structure that supports the ceiling or roof). These were extremely heavy structures and tended to push the walls outwards, which could lead to the collapse of the building. In turn, the walls had to be heavy and thick enough to support the weight of the stone vaults” (“Gothic Art and Architecture”). Therefore, taller buildings such as churches would be more expensive to build and would appear bulky and ungainly, which does not quite fit the style the clergy were aiming for. In response to this problem, master masons of the medieval period developed the iconic ribbed vault. This newly designed ribbed vault had several interesting features. A rib vault was the conjunction of two or more barrel vaults. The vault itself was a set of stone ribs that spanned the vaulted ceiling and carried the weight onto the ribs themselves. Furthermore, instead of traditional round arches, pointed arches were used. This gave the ceiling of Gothic buildings a light and more versatile appearance (Martindale). Not only did these ribbed vaults give a (somewhat) unique appearance to cathedrals, but they also played an incredibly vital role in the architectural design of Gothic structures. The “new layout of the Gothic structures significantly reduced the weight (and therefore the outward thrust) of the ceiling vault,” thus reducing the constant danger of collapse and cracking for the thick Romanesque walls when they attempted to reach greater heights (“Architecture Gothic"). The ribs also “transmitted [weight] along a distinct stone rib, rather than along a continuous edge of the wall, and could be channeled from the rib to other supports, such as vertical pillars or flying buttresses, eliminating the need for solid, thick walls . ”, (“Gothic