This essay is written about St Paul’s Cathedral which is located in London. I will discuss the fire that destroyed the original building in September 1966, how the building was restored, and the main functions of the cathedral and the interiors of the dome of the Chapel.
St Paul’s Cathedral is located on Ludgate Hill, London. The function and purpose for this space has not changed. It is still a beautiful cathedral that has seen many important services such as the funeral of Lord Nelson the Duke of Wellington and the Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It is also a place in which religious ceremonies take place, a place in which people can pray and feel closer to God. The older cathedral was built on Ludgate Hill one thousand years before the great fire destroyed it.
After the great fire in 1666 the whole building had to be reconstructed. The great fire burned for four days straight and had destroyed the buildings surrounding the cathedral. Since the buildings constructed during the medieval times were designed mostly from wood meant that the cathedral and all that surrounded it did not survive.
The new building needed a new architect which the Royal Commission chose. The architect of choice was Sir Christopher Wren who was not actually an architect but an astronomer. Dr James W.P Campbell, ‘Ancient Mega Structures’ [Episode 8, National Geographic Channel],[Thursday June 18 , 2009] states that professional architects did not exist during the time the Cathedral needed to be reconstructed. He also states that “Architecture was seen as mathematics and Wren was a leading mathematician at the time”. Wren was a perfect candidate for the job because the construction of this building was far more complicated than people thought. Many builders ...
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...he problems caused by the weight of the building and the dome inspired me. Wren did not give up on his dream of a classical cathedral. The style of the building and hidden designs are fascinating. I chose the dome because at the time it was one of the largest structures in London. It was also the most complicated part of the building and is the most ornately decorated area of the cathedral due to the fact that Wren was determined to change the way the clergy and Royal Commission viewed the church. The dome and cathedral were seen as a beacon of hope for the citizens of London at the time of World War Two. Andrew Lacey Ancient Mega Structures’ [Episode 8, National Geographic Channel], [Thursday June 18, 2009] confirms that “if St Pauls and its dome survived, then somehow Britain would survive”. The Cathedral survived, once again bringing hope to the people of London.
With the Pantheon being built over 1700 years ago, it’s amazing that architects are still using features and techniques from this work of architecture in modern creations. The use of this type of classical architecture will continue to be used in works for public space due to its remarkable exterior appearance and it’s long lasting structural durability. When both Jesse hall and the Pantheon are compared it is possible to see their similarities from the types of domes that top each, their external facades, and their interior plan. While they share many similarities, the differences that Bell and Binder used in their creation make this work of architecture unique to many other public spaces.
Q: Use St Peter’s basilica and Donato Bramante’s Tempietto in Rome, in opposition to John Balthasar Neumann’s Pilgrimage Church of Vierzehnheiligen in Bamburg, Germany, to argue that a rational engagement with architecture is a more effective means to comprehend and understand architectural form.
The Hagia Sophia was constructed first and it was meant as the main church of the Byzantine Empire. It is said that they built the Hagia Sophia in only 5 years, while it took nearly a century for the Notre Dame cathedral to be completed. While it did have what some would consider an extremely short construction time, they did have many issues with the dome. It nearly collapsed more than a few times. Once the builders and architects figured a plan to keep it stable, one on looker said, ”it is as if the Dome is suspended from Heaven itself”. The Dome of the rock was constructed for Christians, Jews, and Muslims but was to attract new followers to Malik’s Islamic brotherhood. The project for the construction had many issues, not only with the Dome itself, but also with revolts that would postpone construction for years. Once completed, many followers believed that Jerusalem was the third holiest place in the world due to Muhammed’s journey to Heaven in order to talk to God. The art within the Hagia Sophia was beautiful Mosaics and paintings of the Virgin Mary with Jesus. These were meant to represent how holy the building was. When the Muslims claimed the Hagia Sophia they did not want to destroy it due to beliefs so they renovated the building. They did this by breaking down images of humans and animals due to their belief that no images of figures
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...
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.
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.
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...
Imagine a Christian cathedral. The image conjured up by the phrase “cathedral” is probably a massive stone building with soaring towers and spires, intricate ornamentations covering the building, and beautiful stained glass windows. If one imagined such a building in response to being asked to imagine a cathedral, one would be accurate. Why exactly are these attributes associated with cathedrals? Well, many cathedrals such as these were built during the Gothic period in medieval Europe. The Gothic style of architecture is an easily recognizable one with its unprecedentedly tall towers and wide windows. Before the Gothic style was the Romanesque style, which is represented in the traditional castle in Europe: wide, short, with thick walls and
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.
...entrance door and archway, that had and overwhelming impact on me, these over exaggerated entrance doors, were built to awe and act as the gateway to salvation, they succeeded. Upon entering the church, the saints were lined up and down either side of the church and were lustrously painted and adorned, the cathedral with its stained glass also elumeminated the church with bright sunlight that gave the church a peaceful and serene atmosphere. While viewing the church from the outside, you tend to fixate on the towers, and you tend to divert your view skyway. The massive Gothic church, really humbles you, the enormity and size are truly overwhelming. The ornamental gargoyle sculptures placed around and throughout the rooftops of the church, really feel as if they were alive and guarding the church.
Scott, Robert. The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2003.
With the withdrawal of the Roman Empire on the city of London came also the extraction of the Roman gods faith. Medieval London was taken by people who prayed to saints asking them to intercede for them with God. London’s first cathedral built by the Anglo-Saxon was destroyed by fire in 1087. Following the fire the church is rebuilt again by the Normans, after 1241 recruits began almost immediately on extending the east end in the new gothic style (Museum of London). To show they were devout Christians, Londoners went on pilgrimages to distant shrines where the body of a saint or some other holy relic was preserved. Many of the saints were adopted from the religion in different countries, but London’s own saints were displayed in the common seal of the c...
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...
...e Dame and the Chartres were amazing and ornate in their design. Their tall designs drew peoples' eyes to the heavens. Their extensive use of stained-glass is still used as a design feature in churches today. To think about it, a lot of work, money, and time were put into these two structures for strictly spiritual reasons. They were mainly dedicated to the Virgin Mary and several sections of them were dedicated to various saints. This definitely showed their ample faith and commitment to God. These two buildings were and are very important in French Gothic style cathedrals. The Notre Dame was the first cathedral that was built perfectly to scale. These techniques were used in construction of later cathedrals. Finally, later constructed cathedrals of French Gothic style were modeled after these two magnificent pieces of art known as Notre Dame and Chartres.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.