Like many Gothic designs, La Sainte-Chapelle has many gargoyles high atop the church. Gargoyles were mainly used as water spouts projecting from roofs at the parapet level and were a common device used to shed rainwater from buildings until the early eighteenth century. After that, most new construction began using drainpipes to carry the water from the roof to the ground.

You can also see how large the stained glass windows are in relation to the building. Despite its small and humble exterior next to the Palais de Justice buildings, Sainte-Chapelle is among the high points of French High Gothic architecture.