Building began on the Roman-Catholic cathedral in 1928 only 0.5mi/0.5km from the Anglican cathedral. The original design was for a neo-Classical building, but only the crypt of this was completed. After the Second World War an architectural competition was held for the completion of the cathedral, the successful design - much more modest than the original plan, which would have produced the second largest church in Christendom, - was by Sir Frederick W. Gibberd, who had worked on the design of Heathrow airport.
The Cathedral, consecrated in 1967, is a massive circular structure centered on a lantern of medieval type and can accommodate a congregation of 3,000. Round this cylindrical lantern tower is a huge "tent" 200ft/61m in diameter, rising sharply to a funnel-shaped drum 270ft/82m high. Since the Cathedral is built on a hill it has the appearance of a huge lantern rising above the city.
The principal structural materials are steel and glass - more glass than in any other cathedral. Opinions differ widely as to whether it is beautiful or not, but it must be conceded that it is striking. It has many nicknames among the local people such as "wigwam", "spaceship" and "Mersey Funnel". The altar, a block of white marble 10ft/3m long and weighing 10 tons, is from Skopje, the capital of Macedonia in former Yugoslavia. The spaces between the 16 supporting piers are occupied by chapels, separated by blue and green glass walls.
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Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ The King in Liverpool, Merseyside.
