A pendant vault is a type of vault that appears to float and whose ribs rest on a kind of baskets or hanging keystones. These downward-hanging supports act as vault keys that carry the ribs. The pendant vault is also called a dropped or hanging vault, because the hanging keys come down like dripping points.
Features
The pendant vault is one of the most complex and decorative vault forms:
- Floating ribs — the ribs appear to hang freely in space
- Hanging keystones (pendants) — downward-hanging blocks of stone at which the ribs meet
- Rich tracery — often combined with fine stonework and fan-shaped ribs
- Chiefly decorative — the floating impression is primarily aesthetic in intent
Applications
The pendant vault arose and flourished mainly in the late Middle Ages:
- Late Gothic English churches — in the Perpendicular style, where these vaults were developed to great heights
- Chapels and choirs of cathedrals — as a showpiece over the most prestigious part
- Restoration — in the repair of monumental stonework and vaulting
Although the effect is chiefly decorative, the pendant vault can also serve a structural purpose: as buildings grew wider, the ribs helped carry the forces, via the hanging keys, to the walls after all. The pendant vault is closely related to the fan vault and to the motif of the hanging arches.
Related terms
- Vault
- Hanging arches
- Arch
- Architectural orders
- Keystone
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.