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what was the true purpose of building gothic architecture during the middle ages?

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1. To build churches as a way for wealthy people, or communities to prove their love of Christ and God. It was often felt that one could "buy" their way into heaven by giving to the church, either by large endowments, or, for the poor, regular contributions in smaller amounts.
2. It was really just an aesthetic of the time period. However, some of the features of Gothic architecture had practical uses too. Flying buttresses, for instance were originally used to help bear the weight of taller buildings. This was introduced because at the time taller was considered better and aesthetically pleasing. The flying buttresses were on the outside, but on the inside many Gothic buildings use a structure called the "groin vault" to help bear weight. It really all boils down to people wanting really tall buildings, that's why you see a lot of spires on Gothic buildings, because they add a lot of height with very little weight.