The west facade presents the largest church facade ever constructed, spanning nearly 7,000 square meters.
Five vertical axes organize the composition, with twin towers transitioning from quadrangular to octagonal forms above the roofline.
The facade follows a 4-meter high medieval parchment drawing from 1290, ensuring historical accuracy.
Three principal portals adorn the west facade: the Magi Portal, Main Portal, and St. Peter's Portal.
Christian Mohr and Peter Fuchs created the sculptures, with the central portal depicting the Age Before Redemption.
The iconographic program originally featured 109 jamb statues across all portals, with recent reconstructions completing sections destroyed over the centuries.
The interior spans 144.6 meters in length, with the nave reaching 43.35 meters in height—sufficient to accommodate the Statue of Liberty.
The elevation follows a 3:1:3 ratio, with the triforium positioned at the exact center. Double aisles flank both nave and choir, creating an integrated vertical system that dissolves walls into light.
The cathedral demonstrates advanced Gothic engineering through its flying buttress system, which eliminates the need for supporting walls.
Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and clustered pillars create a unified structural system. External buttresses transfer lateral thrust, allowing unprecedented height and window area.
