HGTV's househunting shows usually has potential buyers say, "I could see us eating here, or entertaining here, or sitting here, etc."
I could see a traditional sanctuary in this nave, pictured above, with altar against the wall, traditional 6 candles, traditional large crucifix, sanctuary three steps up, altar three more steps, bishop's throne and ambo on opposing sides, beautiful altar railing and ornate gates.
Can you picture it? Someone photoshop the picture above and make it happen. It could become a possible renovation for the future!
8 comments:
This cathedral looks too much like Madison Square Garden. There is no ornamentation to express the beauty of heaven through a mimesis of the beauty in nature that is a theophany of God in creation. Most of the clever beauty found here is purely man made, in praise of man and his cleverness. Compare that with the new huge church the SSPX want to build in Kansas. A sacred world of difference:
https://vimeo.com/347756180
I think it might look nice if a copy of the Portiuncula (or something very similar) were built inside that cathedral.
Paxton's design for the Great Exhibition of 1851 was ridiculed as the 'Crystal Palace' but was a triumph. When the Exhibition closed it was re-erected at Sydenham and was a popular concert venue until its destruction by fire in 1936. So I'm not rushing to judgement.
I think it is a traditional sanctuary as it reflects the ancient Basilica model that you can see to this day in cities such as Rome (St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Sabina, St. Clement, etc all have this kind of set). Even the tapestry (which is of dubious artistic quality i'll admit) is the kind of image that would normally appear in an apse above the cathedra.
Historically speaking the altar attached to a reredos and with a tabernacle in the middle is a late comer in all of this.
Fr. McDonald,
Your wish for someone to Photoshop an alternate sanctuary layout inspired me, so here it is! I want to be a church architect one day, so this was a fun thing to do, imagining what the cathedral could have looked like! And I was able to attend the dedication mass!
Here's a link to the picture, since I can't post it in the comments section. I hope it opens correctly; just paste it into the URL bar.
file:///C:/Users/rmh/Documents/Matthew/New%20folder%20(2)/Christ%20Cathedral-proposal.jpg
Fr. McDonald, I am a young architect who wants to be a church architect one day. Your desire for someone to Photoshop an alternate sanctuary design for the cathedral inspired me, so here it is! Just copy this link into your URL bar, and you can view the picture.
Matthew Hoffman
file:///C:/Users/rmh/Documents/Matthew/New%20folder%20(2)/Christ%20Cathedral-proposal.jpg
Matthew, thank you for reading my blog. The links you provide, don't work, though. I'd love to see your proposal though.
Fr. McDonald, sorry that didn't work, and sorry for the double post. This link should do the trick.
Thanks, Matthew
https://www.coroflot.com/matthewhoffman/Christ-Cathedral-Alternate-Design
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