Consider the structural needs of the Gothic cathedral that prompted the design and use of flying buttresses.

What will be an ideal response?

The growing competition for great church heights in this historical period and the increased weight that resulted from higher and higher vaults and spires could not be supported by the buttresses used in Romanesque churches. Without further support, the roofs and walls would collapse and buckle. By distributing the weight farther out from the walls, the flying buttresses absorbed the thrust created by the heavier buildings, allowing the great height of Gothic cathedrals.