Introduction
St. Paul’s Cathedral is located at the corner of Swanston Street and Flinders Street and it is one of the landmarks in Melbourne. The building is built in 1880 and is opened in 1931. Formally, the site was occupied by St. Paul’s Parish Church constructed of bluestone. It was demolished in 1885 to make way for the present cathedral. The present cathedral was designed by William Butterfield from England but he resigned in 1882 due to distance problem. The project was then continued and completed by Joseph Reed (Reed Henderson and Smart) in 1931. The construction of the spires began in 1926. The original design of Butterfield is replaced by design from John Barr from Sydney. In 2009, restoration work is carried out for the cathedral
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Neo-Gothic transitional style is also known as Gothic Revival style. This style can be seen in most of the buildings from mid- 19th- century Europe and United States and it has become one of Europe’s outstanding artistic eras. Initially, the word “Gothic” is used to describe the monuments of the Middle Ages during the Italian Renaissance as they belong to the barbarian goths but the term was then used to described art and architecture for those centuries following the Romanesque period and early Renaissance.
The tallest part of the cathedral is the Moorhouse Tower which is 96.7m. The Western towers and spires soar at 56.0m, while the choir under central tower reached a height of 28.6m. The exterior length of the cathedral is 84.2m, while the interior of the cathedral is 78.3m.
Different types of materials are used to build the St Paul’s Cathedral. The exterior of the cathedral is made of barrabool sandstone which can be found easily in Geelong area in Melbourne, while the interior cathedral is made of cream waurn ponds limestone banded with Malmsbury bluestone. Initially, the previous cathedral in this site is made of bluestone, but after it was demolished, a sandstone cathedral, which is the present cathedral was
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The plan of the cathedral is symmetrical and it looks like a cross shape which is a religious symbol for Christians and Catholic. Two rows of pews are lined up neatly along both sides of the nave, the arrangement of the pews are guided by the floor tiles in the middle of the nave. The High Altar and Rederos is located at the end of the cathedral which can be seen directly from the entrance of the cathedral.
Characteristics
The architecture styles in gothic period are developed from the ones in Romanesque period as the gothic period is after Romanesque period. Although both periods have different architecture styles, but there are a few similarities between them. Some of the features in gothic architecture make it more recognizable such as stained glass windows, ribbed vault, timber ceiling, flying buttress and the key feature in gothic architecture which is the pointed
According to the official website for St. Patrick's Cathedral, the cathedral was first opened in 1879, after it had begun construction in 1858. Archbishop John Hughes announced his idea of building a “new” St. Patricks Cathedral over one hundred fifty years ago. The purpose of building the new cathedral in the Archbishop's eyes was to build a cathedral that was worthy of the mass numbers of catholics in the area, their intelligence, and wealth as a community. Archbishop Hughes believed that one day, this cathedral would be the “heart of the city.” He also believed that nothing would be able to divert the construction of this soon-to-be gothic cathedral. In October and November of 1878, the Great Cathedral Fair was held for a few weeks. Hughes' successor, John McCloskey became head of the dedication of the Cathedral. The architect responsible for building this cathedral was James Renwick. In 1853, he was hired to build this cathedral with a budget of only $850,000, not including the altars, furnishings for chapels, organs and other furniture. The stone that Renwick chose to use for the cathedral was white marble.
This work is typical for this era because the architectural style Gothic is known for its height being tall and made from stone and tall flying buttress...
There is a long history of St Paul Cathedrals stretching thousand of years since the initial construction of the first church till the nowadays known St. Pauls Cathedral which is the 4th Cathedral constructed on site.
I found it very interesting the differences in style between the Romanesque and the Gothic cathedral. The Romanesque churches had a style that had rounded arches with small windows. Their exterior was contain little decoration and the atmosphere was dark. Whereas, the Gothic style of church had pointed arches with large windows that were stained with bright colors. The mood was very bright and filled with
Now today, there are still over 900 Cathedrals standing today in our world thanks to our OLD generation masons! Today you wouldn’t find people building cathedrals anymore. You would find some being repaired but never built. Well technically, a tiny church can become a cathedral if a bishop uses it as his official church but other than that none are being built today that my research knows of.
Several elements from Gothic architecture were borrowed from the Lombards and the Franks. They took the compound pier and archivolt, the alternate system, and the ribbed and domed vault. It can be seen that the main dispositions of the Gothic plan are derived from Carolingian developments of the early Christian basilica. The most fundamental element of Gothic architecture is the pointed arch, whi...
After walking inside and trying to first experience, the church, and all its beauty and ornateness, I began examining the floor plan and elevations of the cathedral. Grace Cathedral was build in a gothic style, which it represents in its architecture inside and out. There were three huge rose windows. One at the very top of the main entrance and one on either end of the transept. There wer...
The Gothic style evolved from that of Romanesque, building on concepts and ideas that led to the creation of larger and grander structures. Today, mankind looks in awe at the structures that were built hundreds of years ago without the assistance of modern technology and equipment. These architectural styles are indisputably different, but equally profound. They made use of differing techniques to become tangible structures that can still be seen
There was a greater intensity occurring in piety and literature. The Gothic style embodies this new urban society. Romanesque and Gothic shared similar characteristics, but Gothic architecture was a greater departure from its previous predecessor. The Romanesque architecture style, which occurred during the late 11th century to the middle 12th century, literally means “roman-like” architecture. The Romans, who were inspired by the Etruscans, used barreled and groined vaulting.
Parker Camp St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Savannah versus Chartres Cathedral Comparison Essay Thesis: Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction offers St. John the Baptist more flexibility in design and style. Still, their likeness and variations extend far beyond the realm of their design. Fall 2014
St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London, England, was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren. Approval of this most significant architectural project took six years just for the plan. Construction, which began in 1675, took thirty-five years until finally complete in 1710. It was built to replace a church that had been leveled by the Great Fire of 1666. St. Paul's is the largest cathedral in England, and said to be Wren's masterpiece. He brought a range of new forms, and architectural combination into English architecture. Masonry, brick, timber, and cut stone were used to form the structure of the cathedral. St. Paul’s Cathedral has been one of the main socially significant buildings in London. Cathedrals all around, have always played a large role in the communities they serve. Their fundamental purpose is to bring people closer to God, but over the centuries they have served as a focal point for trade, as a stronghold and a place of safety in times of war, and as immense status symbols. The functions, of a cathedral, take on an additional significance for St Paul's, because it’s known as the cathedral of the capital city and, of the nation. The present building is also the first cathedral to have been built since the creation of the Church of England in 1534, when religion was brought under the direct control of the monarch. This quote from Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage really shows the significance the Church has made in England. “St Paul's Cathedral is the internationally recognized signature of London and the capital's most important historic and architectural focal point. Only St Paul's and the Palace of Westminster are protected by strategic views but the proposed tower disregards this legal protection and the significance of the Cathedral as the icon of London.” The West Front, which faces the heart of the City of London, is an iconic image with great national significance. It is through the famous West Doors that so many British monarchs and distinguished figures have entered the Cathedral. The nation’s “best-loved” church, St Paul’s has hosted some of the most important commemorative events in British history. In recent years the memorial service for the victims of 9/11, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. Also, it was where the funeral services of Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, and Winston Churchi...
The windows were of stained glass showing bible stories and saints lives in them, And the design structure enabled cathedrals to rise higher than ever. It even became a contest for architects – who could build a cathedral as tall as possible. A cross shape was used for windows allowing crossbowmen to shoot attackers from the inside, and a cross plan was also used for the shape of a cathedral as seen from a bird’s eye view.
Gothic art evolved from Romanesque art and lasted from the mid-12th century AD to the end of the 16th century. It was a particular style of Medieval art and was led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture, established by the Basilica of St Denis. Through the influence of historical design methods, such as Islamic/Romanesque architecture and the impact the spread of Christianity had on Europe, Abbot Suger was able to develop a new style of architecture through his reconstruction of St Denis. This led to the development of taller buildings with thinner walls and bigger rooms on the inside.
All over the world people still come to admire the beauty of European cathedrals. Many of the cathedrals are fragile due to age, neglect, pollution, and insufficient funds available to restore these historical and beautiful buildings. Nevertheless, visitors to these architectural masterpieces are fascinated by the design and structure of these churches. The cathedral builders using their own ingenuity, expertise, and limited resources were able to defy the laws of gravity and time. (Icher 30)
Gothic architecture, though also used in secular buildings, is most associated with the great cathedrals of Europe. The Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church on the outskirts of Paris, France. The building is of significant importance historically and architecturally because it is considered to be the first Gothic church ever built. The building of gothic cathedrals grew as design techniques progressed. Over time, as new techniques combined with new materials, cathedral architecture increased in complexity and sophistication into a recognizable gothic style.