St. Paul's Cathedral Presentation

isg    Nisan 26, 2018    presentation   

Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723) is principally known as the architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, built to replace the earlier Gothic cathedral. Externally there are two storeys of the Corinthian order, the upper storey being merely a screen to hide the clearstory and its buttresses. The dominant feature of the design is the dome over the central area.

It consists of an inner shell, reaching a height of 216 feet, above which rises the exterior dome of wood, surmounted by a stone lantern, the summit of which is 360 feet from the pavement. This exterior dome, springing from a high drum surrounded by a magnificent peristyle, gives to the otherwise commonplace exterior of the cathedral a prominent majesty of effect. Next to the dome the most successful part of the design is the west front, with its two-storey porch and fl anking bell-turrets.

Internally the excessive relative length, especially that of the choir, decreases the effect of the dome, and the poverty of detail gives the whole a somewhat bare aspect. It is intended to relieve this ultimately by a systematic use of mosaic decoration, especially in the dome. The central area itself is a noble design, occupying the whole width of the three aisles and producing a striking effect of amplitude and splendour.

The dome above it is constructively interesting from the employment of a cone of brick masonry to support the stone lantern which rises above the exterior wooden shell. The lower part of the cone forms the drum of the inner dome, its contraction upward being intended to produce a perspective illusion of increased height. St. Paul’s ranks among the fi ve or six greatest domical buildings of Europe, and is the most imposing edifice in England.