A gargouille is a water spout: a far-projecting drainage element that throws rainwater from the roof or gutter well clear of the facade, so the masonry stays dry. The term is French and is best known from Gothic architecture, where these spouts were an essential part of the roof drainage system.
Function and technique
The gargouille solves a fundamental building problem. Large Gothic structures with steep roofs and long gutters must shed considerable quantities of rainwater. If that water ran down the facade, the masonry would become saturated, weathering would set in, and trapped moisture would expand in the joints during frost. The gargouille prevents this by hurling the water in a wide arc away from the wall.
Technically, a gargouille consists of:
- A projection — the element reaches far beyond the facade, often a metre or more
- A continuous drainage channel — cut into the top or running through the body of the element
- A spout opening — from which the water falls as a jet
When it rains, the gutter collects the water and feeds it to the gargouille; through the internal channel the water leaves the building in an arc that spares the facade.
Application
Gargouilles are found above all on Gothic cathedrals and churches, such as Notre-Dame in Paris. In modern construction they have largely been replaced by downpipes and rainwater stacks, but the principle survives in spouts on flat roofs and in gutter outlets that deliberately keep water away from the facade. When historic buildings are restored, gargouilles are carefully repaired to preserve their water-shedding function.
The carved, often monstrous figure that sometimes gives the element its shape is called a gargoyle; the gargouille refers strictly to the water-drainage function.
Related terms
- Gargoyle
- Gutter
- Facade
- Masonry
- Roof drainage
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