Metz Cathedral represents the pinnacle of Gothic art. It seems to rise to the sky with its arches 136 ft high (41 m). Inside, the columns are in one piece and are sparsely decorated. Gothic architecture made a significant leap forward with the addition of flying buttresses on the outside. It made it possible to raise the walls even higher. Important innovations also occurred on the insides, like the abandonment of pointed arches in favor of ribbed vaults. They distribute the pressure exerted by the walls better.