tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post6051466504061842971..comments2024-03-29T17:55:30.203+13:00Comments on Anglican Down Under: Inspirational Ancient Future BuildingPeter Carrellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09535218286799156659noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-91919570123759869242012-08-07T09:28:55.458+12:002012-08-07T09:28:55.458+12:00Dear Pageantmaster, Thank you for your gracious re...Dear Pageantmaster, Thank you for your gracious retraction of your 'dated' remark about the Cathedral of St. Michael & All Angels Coventry.<br /><br />I am privileged, here in Christchurch, to be part of the parish ministry of another Saint Michael & All Angels, so have to keep up the good name of our Patron - we are perhaps the only inner City church still providing Daily Mass - post quakes - certainly in the Anglican Tradition.Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-78641079971321854732012-08-07T02:40:19.974+12:002012-08-07T02:40:19.974+12:00Fr Ron Smith
"being a native of Coventry - be...Fr Ron Smith<br />"being a native of Coventry - before the Blitz - and at the time of the new Cathedral of St.Michael; I don't believe it has yet 'dated'."<br /><br />I withdraw my suggestion that Coventry Cathedral has dated, and indeed recognise that the relevance of such a building can hardly ever be surpassed; along with the merits of melamine, tupperware and as we saw in the Olympic opening ceremony, Lindy Hop.<br /><br />My apologies - I meant no offense to another monument from the New Elizabethan age.Pageantmasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-69119357251599144762012-08-05T13:52:11.684+12:002012-08-05T13:52:11.684+12:00Hi Peter,
One has to admire the vision of the neo...Hi Peter,<br /><br />One has to admire the vision of the neo-gothic movement, even though I think that vision is no longer tenable in today's world. But the principle of a cathedral that narratives the relationship between heaven and earth and the role of the Church in that connection still holds.<br /><br />The move from high altar to nave table just demonstrates the way the church was trying to embody a new vision for the church within a building from a previous era. <br /><br />We have to think hard as a church to articulate this new vision. This task is made more difficult today by the confusion within the church as to our proper function. As long as Church and Culture continue to be conflated, that confusion will continue to reign. But if we do our work well, we will know how to build.<br /><br />My ideal would be for a building that from the outside narratives its purpose to the observer and on the inside facilitates the church as it goes about its godly work.<br /><br />MalcolmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-24416260186102815642012-08-05T13:43:35.945+12:002012-08-05T13:43:35.945+12:00I would prefer if they just stuck with good old fa...I would prefer if they just stuck with good old fashioned Victorian Gothic. Whenever I hear the word "modern" I assume it means soulless and garish. We have enough 70's Stalinist chic in NZ as it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-75443146114010074272012-08-05T07:32:45.898+12:002012-08-05T07:32:45.898+12:00Contrary to 'Pageantmaster's experience he...Contrary to 'Pageantmaster's experience here, of iconic buildings;<br />beoinf a native of Coventry - before the Blitz - and at the time if the new Cathedral of St.Michael; I don't believe it has yet 'dated'.<br /><br />Sir Basil Spence, its designer, who invited artists of the time to contribute to the design; wrought an epic reminder of how both ancient and modern can live side by side with no apparent contradiction<br /><br />Having re-visited the City of Coventry several times since, my experience was that the number of visitors is constantly high. The relevance of such a building can hardly ever be surpassed.Father Ron Smithhttp://kiwianglo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3915617830446943975.post-56098871169274765392012-08-04T23:56:06.926+12:002012-08-04T23:56:06.926+12:00There are few truly iconic buildings which have st...There are few truly iconic buildings which have stood the test of time. Even those that were hailed as iconic, those on the cutting edge, or the very best the time and technology could produce, often end up looking dated or overtaken by technology.<br /><br />In my time, or just before, those buildings hailed as iconic, now just look, well, of their time: the Pompidou Centre, the Lloyds building, Brazilia, Coventry Cathedral. All now look rather bland and dated, although interesting as statements of their time and thinking and of our parents' tastes.<br /><br />Those which are iconic are often the product of one determined vision, rather than something designed by committee to be a bit of this and a bit of that, something ancient, something new.<br /><br />There is one iconic modern building I can think of, and that was innovative, has stood the test of time, and was the product of one man's determined vision, even though it was not built as he wanted it and he did not finish the project. That is the Sydney Opera House. But that was over time, over budget and very very expensive as the truly iconic buildings invariably are.<br /><br />The principles of what looks good in cathedrals were worked out over a long period of time - we have about 40 of them and most are gothic. We never really followed the Continental fashion for the Baroque or the Italianate.<br /><br />Better to concentrate on the function of the Cathedral and fitness for purpose, rather than making a pastiche, a mishmash of cultural references or an iconic statement of this time which will date. I suspect that the iconic statement will follow that, much as happened with the Royal Albert Hall, hated at the time, but much loved now.<br /><br />And of course, you already have a proven iconic cathedral, though in bits and with no Humpty in sight it seems.Pageantmasternoreply@blogger.com