| Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral | |
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral main entrance |
|
  Shown within Merseyside
|
|
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Liverpool |
| Full name | Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King |
| Geographic coordinates | 53°24′17″N 2°58′04″W / 53.404754°N 2.967725°WCoordinates: 53°24′17″N 2°58′04″W / 53.404754°N 2.967725°W |
| County | Merseyside |
| Country | England |
| Ecclesiastical information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Province | Liverpool |
| Diocese | Liverpool |
| Bishop | Archbishop Patrick Altham Kelly |
| Dean | Anthony O'Brien |
| Director of Music |
Timothy Noon |
| Organist | Richard Lea |
| Website | liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk |
| Building information | |
| Architect(s) | Edward Welby Pugin - 1853 Edwin Lutyens - 1930 Adrian Gilbert Scott - 1953 Frederick Gibberd - 1967 |
| Height (max) | 84.86m[1] |
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (usually shortened to Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool[2] and the metropolitan church of the ecclesiastical Northern Province.[3]
The Metropolitan Cathedral is one of the two cathedrals in the city. The other, the Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool, is situated around 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the south.[4] In 1982 Pope John Paul II travelled to Liverpool to see both the Anglican cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral following his visit around the United Kingdom.[5]
Contents |
History
Pugin's design
During the Irish potato famine in 1847 the Catholic population of Liverpool increased dramatically. About half a million Irish, who were predominantly Catholic, fled to England to escape the famine; many embarked from Liverpool to travel to America while others remained in city.[6] Because of the increase in the Catholic population the co-adjutor Bishop of Liverpool, Alexander Goss (1814–1872), saw the need for a cathedral. The location he chose for this cathedral was the grounds of St. Edward's College on St. Domingo Road, Everton.[7]
In 1853 Goss, then bishop, awarded the commission for the building of the new cathedral to Edward Welby Pugin (1833–1875),[8] the joint architect of the Houses of Parliament and champion of the Gothic Revival.[9] By 1856 the Lady Chapel of the new cathedral had been completed. Due to financial resources being diverted to the education of Catholic children, work on the building ceased at this point and the Lady Chapel – now named Our Lady Immaculate – served as parish church to the local Catholic population until its demolition in the 1980s.[10]
Lutyens' design
Following purchase of the present 9-acre (36,000 m2) site at Brownlow Hill in 1930,[7] Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869–1944) was commissioned to provide a design which would be an appropriate response to the Giles Gilbert Scott-designed Neo-gothic Anglican cathedral then being built on Hope Street.[11]
Lutyens' design would have created a massive structure that would have become the second-largest church in the world. It would have had the world's largest dome, being 510 feet (160 m) compared to the 450 feet (140 m) on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.[12] Work on Lutyens' design began on Whit Monday, 5 June 1933,[12] being paid for mostly by the contributions of working-class Catholics of the burgeoning industrial port.[13] In 1941 the restrictions of World War II wartime forced construction to stop. In 1956 work recommenced on the crypt, which was finished in 1958. Thereafter, Lutyen's design for the cathedral was considered too expensive and so was abandoned with only the crypt complete.[12]
Scott's reduced design
After the ambitious design by Lutyens fell through, Adrian Gilbert Scott, brother of Giles Gilbert Scott (architect of the Anglican Cathedral), was commissioned in 1953 to work on a smaller cathedral design with a £4,000,000 budget (£80,000,000 as of 2009).[14] He proposed a scaled-down version of Lutyens' building, retaining the massive dome. Scott's plans were criticised and the building did not go ahead.[7]
Gibberds' design
The cathedral as it is today was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd (1908–1984) who's design was chosen from 300 others applicants from all over the world to design the cathedrals' new look.[7] Gibberds' idea was to create a modern circular building with a height of 84.86m[1] and a crown on the top to represent the crown of thorns Jesus wore during his crucifixion in the Bible.[15] Construction of Gibberds' cathedral began on October 1962 and less than five years later, on the Feast of Pentecost, 14 May 1967 the completed Cathedral was consecrated.[7]
Sir Edwin Lutyens Crypt
Lutyens crypt is a crypt under Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1930 when Lutyens was commissioned to build the catherdal.[16] The crypt is the only part of the cathedral that was constructed in Lutyens image before construction stopped due to World war two and in 1962 Frederick Gibberds' design was built upon Lutyens crypt.[12]
Gallery
 The Cathedral steps |
,_corrected_perspective.jpg) Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral at dusk |
 The cathedral's four bells |
See also
References
- Notes
- ^ a b "Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King – Facts". www.emporis.com. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=110845. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Welcome to Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral". Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. http://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.
- ^ "The Archdiocese of Liverpool". Archdiocese of Liverpool. http://www.archdiocese-of-liverpool.co.uk/index.htm. Retrieved on 2009-07-09.
- ^ "Liverpool Cathedral – Local Interest". Pilgrims' Association. 2006. http://www.cathedralsplus.org.uk/index.php/front_end/member/86/about.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Liverpool Arrival and Mass". Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. http://www.popejohnpaulii.org.uk/liverpool.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-04.
- ^ Redford & Chaloner (1976), pp. 156–157.
- ^ a b c d e "History of the Metropolitan Cathedral". Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. http://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/history/history.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-04.
- ^ Hammond, Lisa (June/July 2008). "No.14: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral". www.mondoarc.com. http://www.mondoarc.com/built_with_light/226507/no14_liverpool_metropolitan_cathedral.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Pugin The God of Gothic". Channel 4. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2007_pugin.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ Evans, dave (7 April 2005). "St Domingo Road, Everton". Dave Evans. http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/T/timeteam/2007_pugin.html. Retrieved on 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Liverpool Cathedral". Visit North West. http://www.visitnorthwest.com/liverpool/liverpool-cathedral.htm. Retrieved on 2009-07-05.
- ^ a b c d Edmondson, Rick. "Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral". Rick Edmondson. http://www.unfinishedbuildings.org/liverpool.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-05.
- ^ Cusack, Andrew (January 2007). "The Greatest Building Never Built". andrew cusack. http://www.andrewcusack.com/2007/01/11/the-greatest-building-never-built/#more. Retrieved on 2009-07-05.
- ^ UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Measuring Worth: UK CPI.
- ^ "Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King". www.skyscrapernews.com. January 2009. http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=430. Retrieved on 2009-07-06.
- ^ "Welcome to the Crypt of the Metropolitan Cathedral". Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. http://www.liverpoolmetrocathedral.org.uk/facilities/crypt.html. Retrieved on 2009-07-07.
- Bibliography
- Redford, Arthur; Chaloner, William Henry (1976). Labour migration in England, 1800–1850. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0719006368.
Further readings
- Gibberd, Frederick (1968). Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool. Architectural P. ISBN 0851393888.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral |
- Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral official website
- The cathedral that never was - exhibition of Lutyens' cathedral model at the Walker Art Gallery
- An image of the Lutyens design.
- Images of the Cathedral's unique interior.
- Images from the Blessings Exhibition of 800 Years of Liverpool
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
