Chapel of King's College London

Last updated

The Chapel of King's College London
King's College London Chapel 2, London - Diliff.jpg
The Grade I listed college chapel on the Strand Campus seen today was redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
StatusActive
Location
Location King's College London, Strand, London
Geographic coordinates 51°30′43″N0°06′54″W / 51.51187°N 0.11506°W / 51.51187; -0.11506
Architecture
TypeChapel
Completed1831 - Sir Robert Smirke
1864 - Sir George Gilbert Scott

The Chapel of King's College London is a Grade I listed 19th century chapel located in the Strand Campus of King's College, London, England. Originally designed by Sir Robert Smirke in 1831, the Renaissance Revival chapel seen today was redesigned by the prominent Victorian Gothic architect Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1864.

Contents

History

The view facing the organ from the apse King's College London Chapel 3, London - Diliff.jpg
The view facing the organ from the apse

The original college chapel was designed by Sir Robert Smirke and was completed in 1831 as part of the College building (later known as the King's building). [1] Given the foundation of the university in the tradition of the Church of England, the chapel was intended to be an integral part of the campus. [2] This is reflected in its central location within the King's Building on the first floor above the Great Hall, accessible via a grand double staircase from the foyer. Although no pictures have survived, [3] the original chapel was described as a low and broad room "fitted to the ecclesiological notions of George IV's reign." [2] However, by the mid-nineteenth century its style had fallen out of fashion and in 1859 a proposal by the college chaplain E. H. Plumptre that the original chapel should be reconstructed was approved by the college council, who agreed that its "meagreness and poverty" made it unworthy of King's. [1]

The college approached Sir George Gilbert Scott to make proposals. In his proposal of 22 December 1859, he suggested that, "There can be no doubt that, in a classic building, the best mode of giving ecclesiastical character is the adoption of the form and, in some degree, the character of an ancient basilica." [1] His proposals for a chapel modelled on the lines of a classical basilica were accepted and the reconstruction was completed in 1864 at a cost of just over £7,000. [1]

19th and 20th century

Scott had to overcome several structural difficulties since the chapel was situated above the Great Hall in the 19th century. He used a lightweight construction system for the arcade and upper nave walls. [4]

In the 20th century, there were many developments that changed the design of the chapel. The original pitched roof designed by Scott was covered with canvas decorated in bays with large star motifs, but these were lost when the ceiling was substituted in the 1930s. [4] The low level windows, which were embellished with stained glass, were damaged during the Second World War. The architect Stephen Dykes Bower was asked to produce proposals for the chapel in 1948 following war damage. Under his direction, the windows were glazed with tinted cathedral glass instead of stained glass. The arcade columns, original designs on the aisle and apse walls were repainted. [4]

21st century

It was desired by the chaplaincy team of the college to have a chapel that is "sensitive to the tradition and relevant to the contemporary culture". [4] The chapel was planned to be restored and refurbished from 1996 but was not restored until 2001.

Apse

Apse roof, depicting Christ in Majesty surrounded by angels King's College Chapel, Strand - Apse roof.jpg
Apse roof, depicting Christ in Majesty surrounded by angels

The semi-dome of the apse is a copy of one of Salviati's mosaics, depicting Christ in Majesty surrounded by angels. Either side of the arch are elaborately decorated vertical panels which include figures bearing scrolls inscribed with the motto of King's College, Sancte et Sapienter (With Holiness and Wisdom), and other Christian inscriptions. The spandrels of the arches on each side of the nave feature the painted heads Doctors of the Church, and four 16th- and 17th-century Anglican Divines. These appear to have been an afterthought, as they do not feature in the original Gilbert Scott drawings. [5]

Deans

Organists

The following is a list of organists of the chapel: [6] [7]

Chaplaincy

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gothic architecture</span> Architectural style of Medieval Europe

Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture. It originated in the Île-de-France and Picardy regions of northern France. The style at the time was sometimes known as opus Francigenum ; the term Gothic was first applied contemptuously during the later Renaissance, by those ambitious to revive the architecture of classical antiquity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sainte-Chapelle</span> French royal chapel in Paris, France

The Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel in the Gothic style, within the medieval Palais de la Cité, the residence of the Kings of France until the 14th century, on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine in Paris, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of cathedrals and great churches</span>

Cathedrals, collegiate churches, and monastic churches like those of abbeys and priories, often have certain complex structural forms that are found less often in parish churches. They also tend to display a higher level of contemporary architectural style and the work of accomplished craftsmen, and occupy a status both ecclesiastical and social that an ordinary parish church rarely has. Such churches are generally among the finest buildings locally and a source of regional pride. Many are among the world's most renowned works of architecture. These include St Peter's Basilica, Notre-Dame de Paris, Cologne Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, Antwerp Cathedral, Prague Cathedral, Lincoln Cathedral, the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Santa Maria Maggiore, the Basilica of San Vitale, St Mark's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Antoni Gaudí's incomplete Sagrada Família and the ancient cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, now a mosque.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hereford Cathedral</span> Church in Herefordshire, England

Hereford Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Hereford in Hereford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, Prague</span> Church in Prague, Czech Republic

The Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is a neo-Gothic church in Vyšehrad fortress in Prague, Czech Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Chester and the seat of the Bishop of Chester

Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint Werburgh, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since 1541, it has been the seat of the Bishop of Chester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amiens Cathedral</span> Church in Amiens, France

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens, or simply Amiens Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral. The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Amiens. It is situated on a slight ridge overlooking the River Somme in Amiens, the administrative capital of the Picardy region of France, some 120 kilometres north of Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Malvern Priory</span> Church in Malvern, Worcestershire, England

Great Malvern Priory in Malvern, Worcestershire, England, was a Benedictine monastery and is now an Anglican parish church. In 1949 it was designated a Grade I listed building. It is a dominant building in the Great Malvern Conservation area. It has the largest display of 15th-century stained glass in England, as well as carved misericords from the 15th and 16th century and the largest collection of medieval floor and wall tiles. In 1860 major restoration work was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott. It is also the venue for concerts and civic services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' Church, Wigan</span> Church in Greater Manchester, England

All Saints' Church in Wallgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, is an Anglican parish church. It is in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the Diocese of Liverpool. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and stands on a hill in the centre of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troyes Cathedral</span> Cathedral in Aube, France

Troyes Cathedral is a Catholic church, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul, located in the town of Troyes in Champagne, France. It is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of Troyes. The cathedral, in the Gothic architectural style, has been a listed monument historique since 1862.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of San Simpliciano</span>

The Basilica of San Simpliciano is an ancient Roman Catholic church in the centre of Milan, region of Lombardy, Italy: the church, commissioned by the 4th century bishop St Ambrose, is the second oldest known Christian church with a Latin cross layout. It is dedicated to Saint Simplician, who was Ambrose's successor as bishop of Milan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sainte-Clotilde, Paris</span> Basilica in Paris, France

The Basilica of Saint Clotilde is a basilica church located on the Rue Las Cases, in the 7th arrondissement of Paris. It was constructed between 1846 and 1856, and is the first example of a church in Paris in the neo-Gothic style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Michael, Cornhill</span> Church in London, England

St Michael, Cornhill, is a medieval parish church in the City of London with pre-Norman Conquest parochial foundation. It lies in the ward of Cornhill. The medieval structure was lost in the Great Fire of London, and replaced by the present building, traditionally attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. The upper parts of the tower are by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church was embellished by Sir George Gilbert Scott and Herbert Williams in the nineteenth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's Church, Nantwich</span> Church in Cheshire, England

St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It has been called the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" and it is considered by some to be one of the finest medieval churches, not only in Cheshire, but in the whole of England. The architectural writer Raymond Richards described it as "one of the great architectural treasures of Cheshire", and Alec Clifton-Taylor included it in his list of "outstanding" English parish churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Souls' Church, Halifax</span> Church in West Yorkshire, England

All Souls Church, Halifax, is a redundant Anglican church in Haley Hill, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The church is open to visitors at limited times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand Campus</span> Campus of Kings College London

The Strand Campus is the founding campus of King's College London and is located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, adjacent to Somerset House and continuing its frontage along the River Thames. The original campus comprises the Grade I listed King's Building of 1831 designed by Sir Robert Smirke, and the college chapel, redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott with the subsequent purchase of much of adjacent Surrey Street since the Second World War and the 1972 Strand Building. The Macadam Building of 1975 previously housed the Strand Campus Students' Union and is named after King's alumnus Sir Ivison Macadam, first President of the National Union of Students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Boise, Idaho)</span> Historic church in Idaho, United States

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, also known simply as St. John's Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral and parish church in the western United States, located in Boise, Idaho. The seat of the Diocese of Boise, the church building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It was included as a contributing property of the St. John's Cathedral Block when the rest of the parish buildings on Block 90 were added to the National Register in 1982. That same year, the parish buildings were included as a contributing property in the Fort Street Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Andrew's Church, Brighton</span> Church in Melbourne, Australia

St Andrew's Brighton is the oldest continuous Anglican church in Victoria, Australia. St Andrew's is the Anglican parish church of the beachside suburb of Brighton, Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Building, London</span>

The King's Building is a Grade I listed building that forms part of the Strand Campus of King's College London in the United Kingdom. Originally named the College Building, the King's Building was designed by Sir Robert Smirke in the course of the college's foundation in 1829. As the founding building, it was built between 1829 and 1831 on land granted to King's College by the government to complete the riverside frontage of Somerset House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of St Katharine, Ickleford</span> Church in Hertfordshire, England

The Church of St Katharine of Alexandria is the Church of England parish church for Ickleford in Hertfordshire. It comes under the diocese of St Albans.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "A brief history of the Chapel" (PDF). King's College London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 Heulin (1979), p. 1
  3. "The Chapel, by Gordon Huelin" (PDF). King's College London. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "History of the Chapel" (PDF). King's College London. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  5. Heulin (1979), p. 2
  6. Heulin (1979), p. 6
  7. "Director of Music - Dr Joseph Fort | The Choir of King's College London | King's College London". www.kcl.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 January 2022.

Bibliography