King's College London Chapel

For other uses, see King's Chapel (disambiguation).

King's College London Chapel, Strand Campus
The Grade I listed college chapel on the Strand Campus seen today was redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott
Basic information
Location	King's College London, Strand, London
Geographic coordinates
Status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Architectural description
Architectural type	Chapel
Completed	1831 - Sir Robert Smirke 1864 - Sir George Gilbert Scott

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

History

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). 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. 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, the original chapel was described as a low and broad room "fitted to the ecclesiological notions of George IV’s reign." However, by the mid nineteenth century its style had fallen out of fashion and in 1859 a proposal by the college chaplain, the Reverend 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.

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." His proposals for a chapel modelled on the lines of an classical basilica were accepted and the reconstruction was completed in 1864 at a cost of just over £7,000.

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.

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 1930s. The low level windows, which were embellished with stained glass, were damaged during the Second World War. The architect Stephen Ernest 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.

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". The chapel was planned to be restored and refurbished from 1996 but was was not restored until 2001.

Apse

File:Geograph-1851021-by-John-Salmon.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 decordated 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.

Deans

Main article: List of Deans of King's College London

Organists

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

The following is a list of organists of the chapel:

• 1835 Henry Bevington
• 1854 William Henry Monk (Director of Choir from 1849)
• 1889 John Edward Wernham (joined the college staff in 1886)
• 1916 Vacancy (Organ played by students under supervision of Department of Theology).
• 1937 Robert Linton Shields (Officially appointed Lecturer in Music as were all subsequent organists until 1980)
• 1941 vacant
• 1945 Harold Last
• 1953 Ernest H. Warrell

Chaplaincy

Main article: List of Chaplains of King's College London

External links

• Official website
• King's College London