The spire. Jabbing the sky

The spire is a strange, specific architectural detail that has become widespread throughout the world. The origin of this detail and its purpose are not entirely clear. The appearance of spires in the history of European architecture is a symptom of profound changes in the shape formation, in the very view of architecture, and in the image of the building. We have not yet fully realized these changes. The symbolism, mythopoetics, and phenomenology of spires are timeless, like the spire itself, figures of cultural heritage that connect times, ‘stitching’ history into a continuous fabric of meanings and senses.