Metropolitan Cathedral Of Christ The King |
Hob Uid: 67491 | |
Location : Liverpool Non Civil Parish
|
Grid Ref : SJ3569390200 |
Summary : A Roman Catholic Cathedral with a crypt built by 1940, main cathedral built in 1959. Despite Liverpool being the city with the largest Roman Catholic population in England, it was the last to gain a cathedral. A design was commissioned from Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1930, but by 1940 only the crypt was completed. The scheme was simplified by Adrian Gilbert Scott, but in 1959 it was abandoned altogether and a competition held for an alternative. Frederick Gibberd's design was the winner out of 289 entries, the assessors concluding that it 'powerfully expresses the kingship of Christ, because the whole building is conceived as a crown'. Gibberd put a flat roof over Lutyens' crypt to make a space for outdoor services, and designed a new church with an underground car park on land to the south. The cathedral has a concrete frame with ceramic mosaic cladding; walls are clad in Portland stone whilst aluminium covers the roof. It is 16-sided, with a perfectly central alter under a glazed corona. Stained glass was designed by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, which is 25 millimetres thick and set in concrete panels. Elisabeth Frink designed the altar cross, R Y Goodden the candlesticks and the marble floor is by David Atkins. The stone belfry and bronze outer doors feature relief panels by William Mitchell, and the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament has a mural by Ceri Richards. The Lady chapel has traditionally set glass by Margaret Trahearne, and a Madonna and Child by Robert Brumby. Building began on the new design in 1962 and it was opened in 1967. |
More information : (SJ 357902) Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (RC) (NAT) (1) SJ 3590 SE MOUNT PLEASANT (north side) L3 55/777 Crypt to Roman Catholic Cathedral 14.3.75. G.V. II* Crypt. 1933-40. Sir E. Lutyens. Brick with granite facing. Facades to north and east and west. East facade is symmetrical, with 3 round headed windows, the central one mullioned and transomed and with large keystone. 2 entrances have Tuscan aedicules with open pediments.West facade similar. North facade has 5 lunettes, round-headed entrances to ends. Interior of blue brick with red brick vaults and granite dressings. 2 central circular spaces are flanked by the concert hall to west and Blessed Sacrament Chapel to East. Both have double aisles and end in 3 apses. To north is the Community Hall and to South is the Pontificial Chapel. Chapel of Relics to South has 3 round headed recesses faced with marble containing Doric aedicules supporting chest tombs; pierced round stone serves as door (the "Rolling Gate").
The Crypt was the only completed part of Lutyen's design for the Cathedral, and would have lain across the main axis, at the north (ritual E) end. An impressive fragment of what Lutyens thought would have been his greatest achievement. (2)
Additional source. (3)
The historical background to the development of a Roman Catholic catherderal in Liverppol is noted in a 2008 report produced on behalf of the Archdiocese of Liverpool and for English Heritage. In the 1850s it had been intended that a church- ie our Lady Immacculate at St Edward's College, Everton- should be expanded into the Roman Catholic cathederal, but the plan did not come to fruition. Later in 1929-1930 the idea of a cathederal for the catholic community was revived. A site at the top of Brownlow Hill was purchased in 1930 by Archbishop Downey in despite sectarian opposition from some protestants. Sir Edwin Lutyens was initially chosen to design the new cathedral in a classical style. The foundation stone was laisd in 1933 but by 1940 only the crypt was near complete. In 1941 work was halted on the orders of the Ministry of Works as the builders were needed for war work. When Lutyens died in1944 he was replaced by Adrian Gilbert Scott (younger brother of Giles Scott). He suggested a smaller design still with a classical dome. In 1957Scott was taken off the main design as it did not find critical acclaim. In 1959 a competion for a new design was run: this was won by Frederick Gibberd who had designed Harlow New Town. Building of the new design began in 1962, it was opened in 1967. There were subsequent serious technical problems was the building and from circa 1992 partly with English Heritage grants it was rennovated. In 2002 a flight of steps from the main entrance to Hope Street, was added, which had been part of Gibberd's design not executed until then. it was funded by a European Union grant. (4)
Additional source: the entry for the Metropolitan Cathederal in Sharples' "Pevsner Architectural Guide" for Liverpool includes a history of its design development and details on the internal appearance and chapels, with illustrations. (5)
At time of recording in 2011, online access to the Listed Description is available via the National Heritage List for England. (6)
Additional source with colour illustrations. (7) |