Fanvault

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of architectural ceiling formed by a series of intersecting arches creating a graceful, fan-like appearance
2. An intricate ceiling design commonly found in Gothic cathedrals, characterized by its ribbed, fan-shaped patterns
3. A vaulted structure that features smooth, radiating ribs extending from a central point, resembling a fan in its layout

Etymology: Fan vaulting is a style of ceiling in which the ribs spread outward from a single point like the struts of an open fan, and the "fan" in the name is a plain description of that look. The compound is a modern coinage: "vault" comes from Old French "voute" (from Latin "volvere," to roll), describing an arched ceiling, and "fan" was attached to it to name the shape. The style itself is English, not French, and it was perfected in the 14th and 15th centuries, when builders at places such as Gloucester Cathedral and King's College Chapel, Cambridge, developed it into its most elaborate form. The term itself is recorded much later than the ceilings. Architectural writers of the 18th and 19th centuries, when Gothic architecture was being studied and revived, needed names for the different vault types, and "fan vault" was one of the descriptive labels they settled on. Because it names a visual form rather than a technique, it is easy to see why it stuck: anyone looking up at the ceiling sees the fan immediately.

Synonyms: fan vault