From St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City to the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in France, architects have designed some of the most beautiful Churches in the world. Expressing every little detail and nuance, they have relentlessly taken the time to develop these remarkable centers of worship. However, tourists of these Churches seem to fail to go “behind the scenes” and appreciate all the decision making and planning used to create these magnificent wonders. Thus, we the architects have put together this detailed synopsis to allow worshipers to appreciate every aspect and feature of The Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales. We decided that the Cathedral should be named after Saint Francis de Sales because he is an important and instrumental figure in religious history. Saint Francis spread his ideas and thoughts for everyone, rich or poor, to understand. He understood that it does not matter what class a person is in or what race they are, but that it is important to see the true religious yearning one has in their hearts. Therefore, we chose the Cathedral’s representative saint to be Saint Francis de Sales because the Cathedral will support the unfortunate and poor who do not have access or are not able to attend Church. The main mission for the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales is to help support the needy and raise them to a level in which they will be able to not only appreciate their Catholic faith, but also use it as a vital guide throughout their religious and holy life. After making many unique blueprints, we decided that the Cathedral should be shaped like a rectangle with two annexes. Being shaped like a rectangle allows us to make the most use of the space. The two annexes, the Adoration Chapel and the Gathering A... ... middle of paper ... ... a mighty force designed as one to fulfill the needs of all, and we, the architects, confirm that this mighty force will live up to its heights as well as the force is itself, and it always will be that well. Works Cited Becchio, Bruno, and Johannes P. Schade. Encyclopedia of World Religions. Franklin Park, NJ: Concord Pub., 2006. Print. Catholic Cathedral. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Web. 15 May 2010. . Leon-Dufour, Xavier. Dictionary of the New Testament. New York: Harper & Row, 1980. Print. Rahner, Karl, and Herbert Vorgrimler. Dictionary of Theology. New York: Crossroad, 1985. Print. The Oblates of St. Francis De Sales. "Oblates Crest.” Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, Toledo-Detroit Province. Web. 14 May 2010. .
The San Diego Mormon Temple bases its architecture on gothic roots; where the epitome of early gothic architecture is the Chartres Cathedral in France. The Mormon Temple is made of white aggregate stone and stucco, very angular and massive, built as a Gothic revival temple. Designed by William Lewis, Jr., the architect took into consideration Mormon temples in Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C. Hugely bulky at the base, the Mormon Temple rises from an enormous mound of earth, that conceals the lower floor. Built for the Mormons residing in Southern California, this temples marks the forty-fifth Mormon temple in the world. However, since its closing to the public in April 1993, only Mormons in "good standing" are now able to enter and use this massive structure. Situated in a suburban community of La Jolla/University City, the 59,000 square foot building is surrounded by shopping centers, residential areas and office buildings. There is no escaping the "angular, white monstrosity's" impact on the city. The gothic/space age temple capitalizes on an elevated sites that is close to the freeway, where thousands of motorists pass it daily.
Saint Patrick's Cathedral, one of New York's greatest cathedrals, is located in Manhattan at 14 E. 51st St. The main reason the cathedral was built was to affirm the ascendance of religious freedom and tolerance. Thousands of poor immigrants and one hundred three prominent citizens helped pay contributions toward the church. The prominent citizens paid approximately one thousand dollars each.This cathedral supports the idea that not one single generation builds a cathedral, but rather the past, present, and future generations do.
Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.
Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come through the large windows, Abbot Suger instilled the Neo-Platonic idea that the sun was the physical representation of God. (Map Statement #2 –Philosophy) Also, at that time, the church was rising in power, so the new structural style of the basilica brought more converts and eventually more power to the church. (Map Statement #3 –Social Institutions) [Insert Literature Map Statement] The Basilica of St. Denis was built so that worshippers would be in awe of the “heaven-like” setting, which would cause more people to declare their faith to God and to the church.
When one sees the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral in person or in pictures they are likely to be awestruck. The twin towers of the western façade rise high into the sky, seemingly in an attempt to scrape heaven. Spiky arches seem to grow out of the sides and claw at the ground. Inside it is cavernous with colored light filtering in through the large, intricate stained glass windows. All of these physical qualities make Notre Dame a prime example of Gothic architecture. It does not stand alone in that distinction. One is also likely to see several hundred examples of this style on varying scales throughout Europe. Because, despite its humble origins, Gothic architecture became the standard for religious buildings in the early 11th century thanks to innovative use of new and old design techniques which resulted in majestic buildings that symbolized the builder’s version of heaven.
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 Façade, designed by the architect Carlo Maderno, “Is 114.69 metres wide and 48 metres high, and has an order of Corinthian columns and pilasters, over which lies an imposing cornice with a central tympanum, crowned by a balustrade with thirteen statues (nearly 6 metres high).” There can be found an inscription on the entablature stating that the Façade was built under Pope Paul V Borghese. In the lower order there are five entrances to the atrium, over which are nine windows, three of which possessing a balcony. The main window, the “Benediction Loggia”, where the Pope gives his blessing upon his election, and at Christmas and Easter. When Maderno added the nave, which is the main body of the church,
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
The structural and technical features of the story point towards a religious epiphany. The title of the story, as well as its eventual subject, that of cathedrals, points inevitably towards divinity. Upon first approaching the story, without reading the first word of the first paragraph, one is already forced into thinking about a religious image. In addition, four of the story’s eleven pages (that amounts to one third of the tale) surround the subject of cathedrals.
St Peter’s basilica which is built based on rational form of architecture is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City, designed by Donato Bramante. Its significant history is that according to the Catholic tradition this was the place that Saint Peter was buried. Not so far away...
Eastman, Roger. The Ways of Religion: An Introduction to the Major Traditions. Third Edition. Oxford University Press. N.Y. 1999
This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also...
Matisse’s design takes a new turn into the modern technique, with clean lines and new influence of nature. A tall structure decorated with crescent moons that simultaneously resembles a steeple and a bell tower greets the visiting pilgrim from afar beckoning through sight and sound. Upon approach, the cross at the top of this extremity indicates the building’s religious affiliation. The interior of the chapel is not particularly ornate nor very large, but the white stone walls create an enormous sense of space. The chapel is L-shaped and the altar is placed at an angle where the two portions of the structure meet. This minimalist aesthetic in which the design is reduced to the necessary elements creates an impression of extreme simplicity by enlisting every feature to serve multiple functional and visual purposes, such as the windows that provide light and color to the chapel.
It is interesting story that the cathedrals try to tell with scholasticism, politics, and the religion under the influential umbrella of the Christian ideology. While it was a very practical and expressive on its own rights a magnificent feat in engineering and symbolically; the most notable part...
One of the most famous works of art ever created, the Sistine Chapel lies in the heart of Vatican City. Architecture and interior design give the Chapel a one of a kind facade while the temple’s history sheds light on its implicit value to the Catholic world and renaissance enthusiasts.