Coventry Cathedral, Photos, Basil Spence Architecture, England, Images, Architect, Date

Coventry Cathedral Building

Religious Structure in Warwickshire, Midlands, England, UK, design by Basil Spence Architect

31 Jul 2017

Grant for Coventry Cathedral Building

Coventry Cathedral Building One of Twelve Recipients of Getty Foundation’s Keeping It Modern Grants

The Getty Foundation announced $1.66 million in architectural conservation grants dedicated to twelve significant 20th century buildings as part of its Keeping It Modern initiative.

photo © David Jamieson

Cathedral Church of St. Michael

Coventry Cathedral by Sir Basil Spence

Date built: 1962

Location: Coventry, England

Cathedral Church of St. Michael Coventry Cathedral, Sir Basil Spence, 1962, Coventry, England Coventry Cathedral is both a celebrated example of 20th century architecture and a monument to the adjoined ruins of 500 year-old St. Michael’s Cathedral. During the German Luftwaffe’s devastating Coventry Blitz in November 1940, the Gothic church was decimated to a mere skeleton, with only the tower, spire, and a few outer walls left standing.

In the bombing’s wake, the community of Coventry was left with the question of whether and how to rebuild, ultimately leading to an open competition. Sir Basil Spence’s daring, modern plan was a radical break from tradition, but was also the only design that incorporated and preserved the destroyed church.

Consecrated in May 1962, Coventry Cathedral rapidly became a popular symbol of reconciliation in postwar Britain. Spence’s design fuses St. Michael’s remains with the modern structure using red sandstone walls, slender columns, minimally vaulted ceilings, and numerous bays of stained glass windows. The merging of the modern building with the ruins has resulted in a holy space where visitors and worshippers can experience the union of past and present.

Although the modern cathedral has been in good care, fifty years of continuous use has resulted in the patina of age and some mechanical failures of building services, making the space unsuitable for contemporary demands. The grant will allow the cathedral architect to work with a team of conservation specialists on the creation of a comprehensive conservation management plan. The resulting plan will allow the building’s stewards to address the site’s much-needed repairs and prepare for longterm sustainability.

Grant support: £132,000

Getty Foundation Keeping it Modern 2017 Grants

photo © David Jamieson

page updated 26 Jul 2016

Coventry Cathedral

Date built: 1951-62

Design: Basil Spence architect

photo © webbaviation

Coventry Cathedral Building images from David Jamieson 250110

Also known as St Michael’s Cathedral, this buildin is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current (9th) bishop is Christopher Cocksworth.

photos © David Jamieson

The city has had three cathedrals. The first was St Mary’s, a monastic building, only a few ruins of which remain. The second was St Michael’s, a 14th-century Gothic church later designated cathedral, that remains a ruined shell after its bombing during the Second World War. The third is the new St Michael’s Cathedral, built after the destruction of the former.
source: wikipedia

Location: Coventry, the Midlands, central England, UK