The replacement of massive stonework with an almost lacy play of thin columns was, in the gothic period, enabled by the development of

The replacement of massive stonework with an almost lacy play of thin column was in the Gothic period, enabled by the development of rib vaulting.
A vault that is supported by with diagonal ribs are rib vaulting, rib vaulting allows the massive stonework, all pointing upward in a gravity-defying crescendo that carries the viewer's gaze toward heaven.