fan vault
Quick Summary
Fan vaulting is an elaborate architectural system used in Gothic architecture, particularly in its later stages. In this style, the ribs of the vault spread out from a central point, resembling the vanes of a fan. This distinctive design creates a visually complex and decorative ceiling structure. The term "fan vault" specifically refers to a Gothic vault where these ribs diverge like the rays of a fan.12
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Gothic artLate Gothic…pointed vaults were replaced by fan vaults (fan-shaped clusters of tracery-like ribs springing from slender columns or from pendant knobs at the centre of the ceiling). Among the finest examples of the Perpendicular Gothic style are Gloucester Cathedral (14th–15th centuries) and King’s College Chapel, Cambridge (1446–1515).
Read More…pointed vaults were replaced by fan vaults (fan-shaped clusters of tracery-like ribs springing from slender columns or from pendant knobs at the centre of the ceiling). Among the finest examples of the Perpendicular Gothic style are Gloucester Cathedral (14th–15th centuries) and King’s College Chapel, Cambridge (1446–1515).
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Western architectureLate GothicIts characteristic feature is the fan vault, which seems to have begun as an interesting extension of the Rayonnant idea in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral (begun 1337), where tracery panels were inserted into the vault. Another major monument is the nave of Canterbury Cathedral, which was begun in the…
Read MoreIts characteristic feature is the fan vault, which seems to have begun as an interesting extension of the Rayonnant idea in the cloisters of Gloucester Cathedral (begun 1337), where tracery panels were inserted into the vault. Another major monument is the nave of Canterbury Cathedral, which was begun in the…
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