Twentieth Century Society and NCT event
See Robert Drake's Presentation
Why is St Paul’s unique?
- A charismatic priest wanting a new style of worship with centrally placed altar reflecting ‘the liturgical movement’ stemming from the Continent
- Opportunity for experimentation in services when in congregations in hall or temporary places with less Diocesan interference
- Meeting of minds when Kirkby met Keith Murray (who had designed Royal Foundation of St Catherine chapel ) and then Maguire
- Revolutionary and austere design
What is so special about St Paul’s interior
- First UK church to respond fully to liturgical reform agenda
- Bringing congregation closer to and involving them in Eucharist – at core of Kirkby’s approach
- Influence of centrally planned Renaissance churches, idea of harmony of man with nature
- Also Thaxted church (Essex) – large areas of floor space and light flooding in
- Diminishing cubes with ancillary spaces; 2 chapels, parish room, sacristy
- Minimum of decoration: just red lettering and mosaics
- A modern not a baroque baldacchino at the centre
- A processional route clearly demarcated
Challenges in getting it built
- Distinguished but conservative architects on London DAC- Albert Richardson & Corfiato
- Cost cut from £50k to £40k Maguire could then cut out extraneous detail as ‘cost cutting’
- But possibly explains use of wire wool and other inexpensive materials
- Maguire used models – and model didn’t change much
- New Churches Research Group founded 1957- enormous impetus towards acceptance of churches like St Paul’s by hierarchy
Post-war Architectural context
- Liturgical movement coming from Germany
- Ars sacra movement in France and pilgrimage church of le Corbusier especially Ronchamp – also a place of architectural pilgrimage. Kirkby visited these churches
- New churches research group in UK- Peter Hammond wrote ‘Liturgy and Architecture’ St Paul’s architects Maguire and Murray were key players
Context of building St Paul’s Bow Common
- Huge extent of destruction of churches in WWII bombing – 90 CofE churches destroyed
- Equivalent numbers or other denominations
- De-population post-1945
- Pressure to pay for new churches in areas of population expansion (process started pre-war)
- Meant in East End for 2-3 churches destroyed only one new one built
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