London’s own Westminster Abbey perfectly defines the Gothic era through its architecture. Unlike most basilicas with separately decorated ceilings, the ceiling of Henry VII’s Lady Chapel is a cohesive part of the architecture of the chapel itself. This chapel is one of many found inside The Abbey. It is most known for its stone pendant fan vaulted ceiling. This structure is accomplished by splitting the ceiling into separate groin vaulted compartments, which are established through the combination of arches along the walls and ceiling. The nearly square compartments are then ribbed and paneled. The ribs are cut from a single piece of stone and are made in such a way to fit the panels. These ribs are equidistant from one another as they stem from the same point on the wall; thus creating a conical shape. In this chapel specifically, hanging pendants create the compression needed to support the ribs. This not only adds stability, but decoration to the ceiling as well. The immense architectural detail found in this chapel is astounding.
The construction for the Lady Chapel begun in 1503 and was paid for by the will of Henry VII. The architect is not known, however, it has been suggested that the chapel was designed and built by Robert Janyns (fl. 1499-1506) and William Vertue (fl. 1501-1527).
Sources:
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/highlights/the-lady-chapel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_Chapel
Sources:
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/visit-us/highlights/the-lady-chapel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_Chapel