High Gothic, Battlefleet Gothic, the Gothic War – one will eventually come across the term “Gothic” in one way or another when engaging with the world of Warhammer 40k. But as an aspiring art historian and 40k lore enthusiast, I have always wondered: How Gothic is the architecture of the Imperium of Man really? How do the vast urban and industrial landscapes of this science fiction setting compare to medieval cloisters and churches?
In this paper, I will examine official terrain pieces for the tabletop game and official artwork for books, video games, etc. and compare them to the ecclesiastical and secular Gothic architecture of the high and late medieval period. I will especially determine which defining characteristics of Gothic architecture are present in the Imperial architecture of the 41st millennium.
Author bio
Emily Darda is a student of art history and German studies at the University of Freiburg. She is an avid fan of the Warhammer 40k universe and everything medieval.
