St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral

St.Paul's.jpg Western View of St. Paul's
Architect	Christopher Wren
Year	c. 1675
Location	St. Paul's Cathedral, London
Photo Credit	St. Paul's

Overview

St. Paul's Cathedral, which stands in central London, is the cathedral of the Anglican bishop. It is the most recent in a line of cathedrals to have been built on Ludgate Hill and dedicated to St. Paul.

Background

St. Paul's Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710, following the destruction of the previous cathedral in the Great Fire of London in 1666. St. Paul's design is a combination of Neoclassical, Gothic, and Baroque elements, making it unique amongst the Great Cathedrals. Another feature that distinguishes St. Paul's from other cathedrals is its dome,which an unusual structural element to find on an Anglican church. The cathedral is generally partitioned into three sections; The main floor, the crypt, and the dome galleries.

Architecture of St Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren to replace the old Medieval style cathedral that burn down in the fire of London in 1666. Christopher Wren decided to go with English Baroque style, making St. Paul's the first non-medieval styled church on London. This caused tension from Londoners that the church looked too Catholic, and the original design was rejected. The Cathedral's main floor is divided into five sections; the Nave, the Dome, the North and South Transepts, and the Quire.

The Nave is the longest section of the Cathedral. From above, a crossed is formed relating to the cross where Jesus was crucified and died. At the far end is the most sacried place, the high alter, which faces the sun so everyday the sun rises and symbolizes the birth of a rebirth.

The Dome is comprised of three parts. The inner dome the support cone and the exterior dome. Wren wanted the dome to reach 365 feet in height, but didn't want the interior to seem out of proportion. The inner dome is meant to make the inside look natural while the cone supports the outer dome.

The North and South Transepts were originally meant to be longer. That design got rejected and they were made shorter in order to make the building appear like a cross from the outside.

the Quire houses the organ and a monument for those who died in World War I. along with the Bishops
The Cathedral also has a Crypt, and access to all of the levels in the dome.

Baroque Style

Stone Gallery

The Stone Gallery is the second highest gallery in the cathedral, above the Whispering Gallery and below the Golden Gallery. It is 53 meters from the Cathedral Floor and about 376 steps. Currently closed.

Golden Gallery

Golden gallery is the top of the Dome, and is 85 meters from the Cathedral Floor, about 528 pages. It is a great gallery to capture the views of the surrounding landscape including The Barbican, The Gherkin, The Lloyds Building, The Shard and Waterloo Bridge. Currently closed.

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