Praxiteles
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And again, the vaulting in Bramante’s double arcade in the cortile of the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome from about 1490:
Again, Michelozzo’s arcade of 1444 in the cortile of the Palazzo Medici in Florence could be usefully studied:
And for ideas about the reonstruction of the vault in the nave of Longford Cathedral, one could well begin by a close study of the arcading in front of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence:
in the case of Longford, I think it would be more useful to the Florentine classicism rather than to the Rome one: For example San Lorenzo:
Looking again at the buildings which influenced Longford Cathedral is a good methodology but let us not forget the revivalist writer/architects of the 16th century whose perception of classical architecture is largely what we still regard as “classica” architecture viz. Leon battista Albert, Serlio, Palladio and, also, figures such as Inigo Jones and Lord Burlington.
On a small point with regard to the last posting: the apse shown in the potographs here is that of the lateran Basilica. The remains of the apse of triclinium leonanium are to be found on the square opposite the main entrance to the Basilica and and are as restored by Pius IX in 1857.
The Cathedral of the Holy name in Chicago caught fire last february. The roof and much of the interior was destroyed. Restoration has just been completed at a cost of $6 million.
And from Vol. II of his work on the nature and development of the Christian altar, Praxiteels is posting this link to the section on altar rails – which will do enormous good in shedding ling on the ignorance currently doing the rounds in Irish “liturgical” circles about altar rails which can be traced to 314 in the East (Eusebius of Cesaerea) and in the West to St Zeno of Verona and to St Augustine:
http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/braun1924bd2/0665?sid=3f88f8a754bac2fe545f1cdd86728066
It ill come as a joy to many liturgists and chuurch architects to hear that the University of Heidelberg has nade available on line the works of Joseph Braun, sj. here are the links of some of the more important and still authoritative ones:
1. Der christliche Altar in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung (Band 1): Arten, Bestandteile, Altargrab, Weihe, Symbolik [The Christian Altar in its Historical Development. Vol. 1: Types, Components, Altar Cavity, Consecration, Symbolism]
http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/braun1924bd1
2.Der christliche Altar in seiner geschichtlichen Entwicklung (Band 2): Die Ausstattung des Altars, Antependien, Velen, Leuchterbank, Stufen, Ciborium und Baldachin, Retabel, Reliquien- und Sakramentsaltar, Altarschranken [The Christian Altar in its Historical Development. Vol. 2: The Appointments of the Altar, Frontals, Vela, Gradines, Steps, Ciborium and Tester, Reredos, Relic and Sacrament Altar, Altar Rails]
http://diglit.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/braun1924bd2
3. Das christliche Altargerät in seinem Sein und in seiner Entwicklung [The Christian Altar Furniture in its Being and in its Development
And another example of a rebuilding that comes to me is that of the Fenice in Venice conducted by Aldo Rossi.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3317053.stm
Where there is a will there is a way.
@Chris_533976 wrote:
It cost €140 million to rebuild the Frauenkirche, this country has nowhere near that amount of money to spend on a cathedral rebuild.
Any rebuild of this kind can draw on external sources which would be prepared to support the restoration of an important classical building.
Praxiteles understands that it cost something in the region of £70,000 to build which, in today’s terms, also represents a fairly daunting task. Cobh Cathedral cost £250,000.
Just imagins what an injection of Euro 140 million would mean for the local economy.
We need a “can do” outlook here!
Here are some notes on the rebuilding of the Frauenkirche in Dresden:
http://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/wiederaufbau+M5d637b1e38d.html
If we recall, it went from this:
to this:
It has to be said that a good deal more survives of Longford Cathedral to make its reconstruction more easy. What is required here is a sense of occasion and the ability to think beyond the gold-fish bowl.
@apelles wrote:
Lets have a look at another cathedral where something similar happened in 1996..Only here it was arson.
St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Parramatta, Australia.
In 1792 five Catholic lay people (four men and one woman) who were resident in Parramatta petitioned Governor Philip to appoint a priest to minister to them and in 1803 it was announced by Governor King that Fr James Dixon was to fill the role. The first Mass in Parramatta was celebrated by Fr Dixon on 15 May 1803, but his appointment was revoked after the “Vinegar Hill Rebellion” at Castle Hill in 1804.
Fr John Joseph Therry arrived in Parramatta in 1820 and set about obtaining a grant of land for a Catholic church, while establishing Australia’s first Catholic school in Hunter Street, Parramatta. In 1836 the foundation stone for a church was laid by Bishop Polding, the building being opened in 1837. In 1854 a new church was commissioned, based on a design by A.W.N. Pugin, although the tower was not completed until 1880, with the spire following in 1883.
In 1936 the building was totally rebuilt to accommodate a larger congregation, although the Pugin-designed tower and spire were retained. With the growth of western Sydney the Diocese of Parramatta was created and in 1986 St Patrick’s was designated a Cathedral.
The first organ in St Patrick’s was built in 1852 by J.C. Bishop, of London, for St Benedict’s Broadway – it possessed two manuals and 12 stops. It served St Benedict’s until 1892 when it was installed at St Patrick’s by Charles Richardson. This rare instrument survived largely in original condition until the early 1960s, when vandals removed much of its metal pipework, resulting in the instrument’s dispersal. In 1981 St Patrick’s acquired yet another second-hand organ, this time from the Grand Masonic Lodge in Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Built in 1923 by Holroyd & Edwards, of Sydney, the organ (of two manuals and 10 speaking stops) had been electrified in 1970 by Pitchford & Garside, who also undertook some tonal modifications.
St Patrick’s was gutted in a fire that was set by an arsonist on 19 February 1996 and the Holroyd & Edwards instrument was totally destroyed. There began a lengthy process to raise funds and develop designs for the rebuilding of the 1936 church (to serve as the Blessed Sacrament Chapel) and the provision of a modern new cathedral to adjoin it. The state government provided a multi-million dollar grant to assist the project. The firm of Mitchell, Giurgola and Thorp (best known for its design of Parliament House in Canberra) was successful in being awarded the design contract and the completed building was opened on 29 November 2003. The Pope’s special envoy for the occasion, Cardinal Edward Cassidy, presided at the Mass.
The old church is no longer used for regular masses. A modern structure has been built beside it. Still called St Patrick’s Cathedral, this is where regular church services are being held.
I’m unable to find any photos of the original interior of St. Patrick’s, but I’m sure it was way better than whats there now.The fire at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta (Australia) in February 1996 left only the exterior walls standing.The property damage came to US$ 4.3m.The arsonist was arrested the very next day after the inferno.
It was only when flames were seen shooting through the roof that the fire was discovered. By this time the cathedral was beyond saving, because just ten minutes later the entire roof was ablaze.
In spite of the massive fire-fighting effort – involving six teams on the ground and two aerial units – it was only possible to prevent the flames from spreading to a neighboring school.The cathedral burnt down to its exterior walls.
As the spire was threatening to collapse, fire fighters and construction workers removed parts of the structure that very night.The following day, the police succeeded in tracing a 21-year-old man who during the subsequent questioning confessed to starting the fires in the church. Previous fires in the vicinity of the church were also his work.Do not even think about it. The destruction of this church was a black comedy of errors even to the extent that the idiot in charge could not find the keys to let in the fire brigade when it arrived.
Longford deserves better that this. Start thinking in terms of the Frauendom in Dresden.
Longford Cathedral
The photographs posted by James1852 are extremely valuable for all sorts of reasons – inclusing illusrating the kind of fiddling that has gone on with this building.
Here is a photograph of the main door as it was in 2006. Note that someone has inserted a fussy piece of stained glass in the upper part of the door panels. Compare this piece of rubbish with the dignified timber panels behind the group of artists taken on the steps of teh Cathedral in 1925. If it has not been burned, then in the forthcoming restoration, this piece of nonsense will have to go.
St Peter and Paul’s Church, Cork City
Some details of the stencil work on the ceilings of the chancel and the lateral chapels.
This work may have been carried out by Hodgkinson and post dates 1866.
@grumpyjohn wrote:
Ah yes…the American professor with an impressive portfolio of work in Ireland….could those possibly be PVC windows?
Well, whatever about his irish domestic portfolio, his American ecclesiastical portfolio can be view here:
http://www.stroik.com/portfolio/
As for Irish architects working in the classical idiom, I cannot think of many with a portfolio in Ireland (or elsewhere) quite as extensive as Stroik’s.
@apelles wrote:
Agree that he’s definitely done some stunning work however, is there no one closer to home? Are there not lots of extremely talented Irish architects who could surely do a perfectly good job on restoring St. Mel’s to its former glory?… given the time & the money.
Who else has a perfect mastery of the theory of classical architecture and has actually put it into practice in large scale ecclesiastical projects?
The only other that I could think of is Quinlan Terry and his only ecclesiastical work has been in Brentwood Cathedral.
Unfortunately, no Irish firm has dislayed any interest in the classical tradition of late and I am afraid that the rebuliding of St Mel’s will require someone used to building more than hay-sheds.
