In northern Europe it's quite easy to become blasé about the gothic style of church architecture; in London, there seems to be a soot-blackened example in every high street. Nevertheless, they were fabulous buildings whose principal aesthetic goal was to inspire awe by going as high as technology permitted.
Notre Dame, Paris, was started in 1163 and encloses a huge high space with its cutting edge technology and elegant design. They spent 200 years on the building of it, but still didn't put the spires on the front. This is typical of the bl**dy French, who can't finish anything unless the Brits are helping them.
^ And here is what an English spire looks like: St.Walburge's in Preston, Lancs. Though in fairness I have to mention that this is a Gothic Revival church, built in the 1860s, by which time they'd had 700 years more practice than the Notre Dame guys. Just with my thumb, it looks like the spire is three times higher than the body of the church. As was the intention, Praise the Lord! - or at least, Look heavenward and be amazed!