King´s College Chapel

Ca C mb m ridg ge e, , Uni n ted Ki K ng n do om Jo J hn h Was sa te ell l 1446 6

perhaps the largest chapel in the world covered with fan vaulting

One of the fi nest examples of Perpendicular fan vaulting can be found at King´s Chapel. It is the oldest building of the Cambridge College area, which was started in 1446, founded by Henry VI, laying the fi rst stone with only 19 years in age. At this time no other College had built a chapel of this scale. The work was stopped for fi fteen year during the Wars of the Roses in 1461. It was perhaps during this period when the decision was taken to change the simpler lierne vault for the fantastic fan vault with delicate stone decoration. The architect who worked on this vault was John Wastell. The vaulting was built in only three years and achieves a span of 12,8 m by an incredible thickness of only 12 cm.