2008 saw Liverpool as “European Capital of Culture”. Among its other claims to fame, it has many notable buildings, in particular, two magnificent cathedrals.
At the southern end of the aptly named Hope Street, on St James’ Mount, is the Anglican cathedral, officially the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool; about half a mile to the north on Mount Pleasant is the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.
The Anglican cathedral was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Work started in 1904, it was consecrated in 1924 and completed in 1978, alas too late for Scott, who died in 1960. Its style is described as “gothic revival”, with one of the longest naves, largest organs and heaviest peal of bells in the world. It also has one of the largest and tallest towers in the world (the view from the top is well worth the climb and on a clear day you can see Blackpool Tower). The interior is lofty, spacious and awe-inspiring, with pillars towering upwards to the vaulted ceilings and with the interesting feature of a bridge crossing the nave at its West end.
The Roman Catholic cathedral was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd (1908 -1984), and stands adjacent to the Crypt designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the only part of his design built, the rest abandoned for financial reasons. The spire represents the Crown of Thorns, and is supported by a tent-like circular structure, with buttresses around its perimeter, leaning inwards and joining at the base of the Crown. The foundation stone for the original Lutyen’s building was laid in 1933, but work proper on Gibberd’s design did not start until 1962 and it was consecrated in 1967. The interior both leads the visitor inwards towards its centre and upwards to the roof, thought to be the largest of its kind; the wealth of stained glass creating transcending light and colour.
Among Scott’s other “signature buildings” are Battersea Power Station, the Chamber of the House of Commons, the new (1937 – 1940) Bodleian Library in Oxford and Waterloo Bridge but mention has to be made of his red telephone box, a later design of which in 1935 known as K6 became commonplace the length and breadth of the country.
Gibberd became established as the “flat” architect with his design of Pullman Court, Streatham Hill, London, and with Yorke he wrote “the Modern Flat”. He was the consultant architect planner for Harlow New Town; among his other works are the London Central Mosque, terminal buildings at Heathrow, Derwent Reservoir and Priory Square, Birmingham.
Having started with a reference to Liverpool’s status as Capital of Culture, I couldn’t conclude without mentioning the Super Lamb Banana. The original work of Taro Chiezo, these iconic street art sculptures warning of the dangers of genetically modified food, started appearing in various guises about the city, a welcome and humorous feature. One appears on the street near to the steps up to the Roman Catholic Cathedral – the backbitternbanana – which has numbered sections showing nominated groups or local organisations. Another outside the University wears a cap and gown and on graduation ceremony day bears the academic hood of those graduating.
