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Student show February 11-14, 2014 in Kent State's Painting Gallery curated by Jessica Todd in conjunction with "The Digital Hand" (curated by Kathleen Browne in the School of Art Gallery). Processes include jacquard, mill weaving, 3D printing and laser cutting. Undergraduate and Graduate work.
NETL’s Polymer Synthesis Laboratory provides innovative advancements to the materials necessary for affordable carbon capture and sequestration technology, a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. The lab performs chemical synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemical compounds to identify candidate materials that can be used for carbon capture and sequestration.
some of the results of my "real job" - one of the pleasures of synthetic chemistry is making compounds that are in some sense esthetically pleasing. Some are nicely colored, some form beautiful crystals, and many are just plain useful.
Student show February 11-14, 2014 in Kent State's Painting Gallery curated by Jessica Todd in conjunction with "The Digital Hand" (curated by Kathleen Browne in the School of Art Gallery). Processes include jacquard, mill weaving, 3D printing and laser cutting. Undergraduate and Graduate work.
This splendid Mosque was built by Hayat Baksh Begum in 1666 A.D. during the reign of Abdullah Qutb Shah.
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Nestled at the foot of the majestic Golconda Fort, the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park is spread over 106 acres. This necropolis of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, that ruled the region for 169 years in the 16th – 17th centuries, includes 40 mausoleums, 23 mosques, 6 baolis (step-wells), a hamam (mortuary bath), pavilions and garden structures set within a heritage zone of international significance. No other ensemble of structures in the Deccani kingdoms of Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur or Gulbarga includes as many monuments of striking grandeur and complexity reflecting a unique synthesis of architectural styles.
On 9 January 2013, Government of Telangana's department of Archaeology and Museums, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal corporation’s Quli Qutb Shah urban development Authority, Aga Khan Foundation and the Aga Khan trust for culture signed a MoU that, over a ten-year period, will enable conservation of all monuments and landscape restoration of the Heritage Park. Following the MoU, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust & Allied trusts have provided required funding for the conservation works on ten major monuments.
Historical Significance
The Qutb Shahi dynasty ruled present-day Hyderabad region from 1518 AD to 1687 AD, and was founded by Sultan Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk.As great builders and patrons of learning, the Qutb Shahis’ strengthened Golconda - one of India’s most formidable citadels.The funerary architecture of the Qutb Shahi Tomb complex evolved through their rule with most of the mausoleums built by the rulers and their family during their own lifetimes. Similarly, they encouraged the development of Indo-Persian and Indo-Islamic literature and culture in the kingdom.
Architectural Significance
The monuments in the complex blend Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles and are built with local granite. Surfaces of the historic buildings are ornamented with intricate incised plasterwork and few monuments also bear glazed tilework.The tomb structures are derivations of the geometrical designs of the earlier Bahmani tombs of Bidar though the stucco ornamentation carried out here is more intricate and on a far greater scale. During the Qutb Shahi period, these tombs were held in great veneration.
Project Objective
Conservation Proposal: Through 2012, exhaustive recording, documentation, condition assessment, surveys and research exercise carried out by the multi-discipinary Aga Khan Trust for Culture team as a precursor to the Conservation Plan that forms the foundation for the project. Over 2000 drawings of the monuments alone have been prepared, in addition to topographical surveys wherein each minor feature of the site has been mapped including all trees. Further archival research and archaeological excavations are being carried out to guide the landscape restoration and enhance the understanding of the site. The conservation works will include further documentation including state-of-art technology such as High Definition Survey’s using 3D Laser scanning technology.
Routed in the Indian context where building craft traditions have been passed from father to son for centuries yet respectful of UNESCO emphasis on retaining authenticity, the conservation works will be implemented by master craftsmen.This are expected to generate over 300,000 man-days of employment for master craftsmen working with stone, lime and ceramic glazed tiles, thus leading a revival of building crafts in the region. No works will be based on conjecture and every effort will be made to ensure conservation efforts are explained through on-site exhibits leading to an enhanced understanding and cultural significance.
Through the conservation works coupled with landscaping of the setting, the project aims to ensure long term preservation, in a public-private partnership model for conservation of our built and intangible heritage in a manner the original builders intended the structures to appear. This major conservation effort will lead to a ripple effect thus attracting a significantly higher number of visitors and tourists, instilling a sense of pride in the city’s residents and creating potential economic opportunities for local businesses.
Conservation works will be carried out in a phased manner to ensure only portions of the site are inaccessible to visiting public at any given time.With its experience in Delhi and projects worldwide,AKTC believes that high degree of supervision by architects, engineers and master craftsmen trained/experienced in handling conservation works is critical to ensuring a proper understanding of the monuments and thus to ensure success of the initiative.
On the basis of investigations, it was found that most of the tomb structures are in a similar state of preservation and suffer from similar patterns of material decay as well as structural defects. Due to dampness and the water seepage, plaster work of the wall surfaces and dome surfaces have deteriorated. One of the common problems in all the structures is the inappropriate application of modern finish completely all over the internal wall surfaces. This has led to disfiguring the historic architectural character.
Conservation works required to be carried out on structures located within the Quli Qutb Shah Heritage Park range from preservation of original material fabric to reconstruction of collapsed building portions such as the step-wells. The intention of the conservation works is to ensure the significance of the site is preserved and the architectural integrity is maintained which on occasion will require removal of modern material inserted into the built fabric.
Conservation Works: Conservation works could commence only in November 2013 when a Wakf Tribunal order prohibiting works was lifted following the collapse of the Badi Baoli and some other structures.
As a priority, over 600 cu.m. of stone masonry walls of the Badi Baoli were rebuilt prior to monsoons in 2014. Conservation works here included removal of 400 cu.m. of collapsed masonry from within the well in a dangerous operation.
At Jamshed Quli Qutb Shah’sTomb, the removal of deteriorating cement plaster from the domed surface and restoration of traditional lime mortar was carried out to prevent further water ingress which was causing significant cracks.The stucco plasterwork is also being restored on both the internal and external wall surfaces as is the stone edging of the lower plinth – clearly visible in archival images.
On the request of the local community emergency repair works have also commenced on the Abdullah Qutb Shah’s mosque, the roof of which was leaking and from where over 400 mm of cement concrete weighing over 110 tones was manually removed.
Two international peer reviews have already been held to discuss ongoing works and project team has accumulated significant archival material that will help define an appropriate conservation action for each of the monuments within the complex
Landscape Analysis and Studies
The proposed landscape masterplan, based on site surveys and available archival material, is aimed at an enhanced setting for the monuments and an improved internal visitor circulation. Significant area will be dedicated for ecological zones on the northern and southern sections of the site coupled while reviving water structures, leading to a significantly improved environment within a densely populated city. Ecological trails will allow visiting school children, to have an improved understanding of heritage and ecology issues.
A detailed vegetation survey is being undertaken, to record species, height, spread, girth and condition of each individual tree to inform the landscape plan.
The proposed landscape plan would appropriately utilize the space of the‘Deccan Park’ as a generously proportioned entrance zone hence establishing an effective presence on the public road, and avoiding the present anomaly of the indirect approach that does not encourage an even spread of visitor activity across the complex. Judicious modification and re-organisation of entrances and paths will increase accessibility of the older parts of the complex and allow visitors to easily traverse the whole site and understand its sequential development rather than restrict their experience to only a part.A path system based on the history of the place would play a vital role in enriching the visitors’ experience of this large, deep and complex historical site.
Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Qutb Shahi Heritage Park, Towlichowki, Hyderabad 500 008, Andhra Pradesh.
NETL’s Polymer Synthesis Laboratory provides innovative advancements to the materials necessary for affordable carbon capture and sequestration technology, a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. The lab performs chemical synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemical compounds to identify candidate materials that can be used for carbon capture and sequestration.
Detail of the striking 'west' screen, a wall of glass at the entrance of the cathedral engraved by John Hutton with a remarkable array of figures of angels, saints and prophets. The stylised, elongated figures are highly individual and distinctive, freely drawn and carved into the surface of the glass.
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-
NETL’s Polymer Synthesis Laboratory provides innovative advancements to the materials necessary for affordable carbon capture and sequestration technology, a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. The lab performs chemical synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemical compounds to identify candidate materials that can be used for carbon capture and sequestration.
Paul Schreiber and MOTM (Module of the Month / "mother of all modulars") Analog Modular Synthesizer (left) and a Modcan system (right) at the Analogue Haven booth.
NETL’s Polymer Synthesis Laboratory provides innovative advancements to the materials necessary for affordable carbon capture and sequestration technology, a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. The lab performs chemical synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemical compounds to identify candidate materials that can be used for carbon capture and sequestration.
NETL’s Polymer Synthesis Laboratory provides innovative advancements to the materials necessary for affordable carbon capture and sequestration technology, a critical component in efforts to combat climate change. The lab performs chemical synthesis, purification, and analysis of chemical compounds to identify candidate materials that can be used for carbon capture and sequestration.
DAS NARRENSCHIFF - EINE REISE INS UNGEWISSE ...
Das Narrenschiff (Uraufführung)
von Heinrich Unterhofer
am 28.05.2014 im Konzerthaus der HfM Detmold
im Rahmen der 2. Biennale für Ostwestfalen-Lippe.
Student show February 11-14, 2014 in Kent State's Painting Gallery curated by Jessica Todd in conjunction with "The Digital Hand" (curated by Kathleen Browne in the School of Art Gallery). Processes include jacquard, mill weaving, 3D printing and laser cutting. Undergraduate and Graduate work.
Evanescence performing live at The Greek in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, October 15, 2017. Part of their Synthesis Live tour.
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-
Student show February 11-14, 2014 in Kent State's Painting Gallery curated by Jessica Todd in conjunction with "The Digital Hand" (curated by Kathleen Browne in the School of Art Gallery). Processes include jacquard, mill weaving, 3D printing and laser cutting. Undergraduate and Graduate work.
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-
JR Tokyo Synthesis Vehicle Center is adjacent to Yamanote Line railyard in Osaki. Some Yamanote Line cars were under maintenance.
Taken when the center was opened to the public in 2012 August. This year’s event will be held in August 24th.
Really excellent group of folks just dove in with both feet into this workshop and came up with great stuff; plus we all had fun together!
Here is a dehydration synthesis animation I created with a friend of mine. Glucose and Fructose bond to form Sucrose and shed a water molecule. The animations was done in blender.
Check us out on the web: www.apexsoftware.com/
Radios make super awesome distortion devices... especially for DFMS (Distorted FM-Synthesis.
If you want to avoid the cost of buying distortion pedals for your electro-setup. Adopt the OBS way and ask for your Gand-mothers left-over radios!
Ah yes... the old folks always have tons of these, like, two in every room! Are your old folk still around? I don'T know what kind of old folks your have in your area by where i'm from they are quite wild and tell it like it is! They beat hanging out with the much music generation hands down...! ! !
Evanescence performing live at The Greek in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, October 15, 2017. Part of their Synthesis Live tour.
Location:Georgian Bay, Ontario
Taken: circa 2012
File: 17761003_1408442939236253_6806009682310075425_o_1408442939236253.jpeg
Camera: Sony CyberShot Digital Camera
Film: Digital
Digital development: n/a
COPYRIGHT © 2024 ANDREW PORTER
Synthesis of Creativity, Innovation and Change - This collage is my response to the final exercise in #CICmooc. It is an overview of the concepts of the Coursera course.
Today's T-shirt is a dedication to our friends in Canada, at Vancouver Coastal Health, for spending some of the time they devote to the people they serve, to help the people we serve KPLantern is a project of the Kaiser Permanente Innovation Consultancy to understand the health and health care of people who are transgender, using a human centered design/fieldwork approach.
This week is synthesis week, where I am learning from the team how field work comes together into insights.
For more about KPLantern: www.tedeytan.com/tag/kplantern
Coventry's Cathedral is a unique synthesis of old a new, born of wartime suffering and forged in the spirit of postwar optimism, famous for it's history and for being the most radically modern of Anglican cathedrals. Two cathedral's stand side by side, the ruins of the medieval building, destroyed by incendiary bombs in 1940 and the bold new building designed by Basil Spence and opened in 1962.
It is a common misconception that Coventry lost it's first cathedral in the wartime blitz, but the bombs actually destroyed it's second; the original medieval cathedral was the monastic St Mary's, a large cruciform building believed to have been similar in appearance to Lichfield Cathedral (whose diocese it shared). Tragically it became the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation, after which it was quickly quarried away, leaving only scant fragments, but enough evidence survives to indicate it's rich decoration (some pieces were displayed nearby in the Priory Visitors Centre, sadly since closed). Foundations of it's apse were found during the building of the new cathedral in the 1950s, thus technically three cathedrals share the same site.
The mainly 15th century St Michael's parish church became the seat of the new diocese of Coventry in 1918, and being one of the largest parish churches in the country it was upgraded to cathedral status without structural changes (unlike most 'parish church' cathedrals created in the early 20th century). It lasted in this role a mere 22 years before being burned to the ground in the 1940 Coventry Blitz, leaving only the outer walls and the magnificent tapering tower and spire (the extensive arcades and clerestoreys collapsed completely in the fire, precipitated by the roof reinforcement girders, installed in the Victorian restoration, that buckled in the intense heat).
The determination to rebuild the cathedral in some form was born on the day of the bombing, however it wasn't until the mid 1950s that a competition was held and Sir Basil Spence's design was chosen. Spence had been so moved by experiencing the ruined church he resolved to retain it entirely to serve as a forecourt to the new church. He envisaged the two being linked by a glass screen wall so that the old church would be visible from within the new.
Built between 1957-62 at a right-angle to the ruins, the new cathedral attracted controversy for it's modern form, and yet some modernists argued that it didn't go far enough, after all there are echoes of the Gothic style in the great stone-mullioned windows of the nave and the net vaulting (actually a free-standing canopy) within. What is exceptional is the way art has been used as such an integral part of the building, a watershed moment, revolutionising the concept of religious art in Britain.
Spence employed some of the biggest names in contemporary art to contribute their vision to his; the exterior is adorned with Jacob Epstein's triumphant bronze figures of Archangel Michael (patron of the cathedral) vanquishing the Devil. At the entrance is the remarkable glass wall, engraved by John Hutton with strikingly stylised figures of saints and angels, and allowing the interior of the new to communicate with the ruin. Inside, the great tapestry of Christ in majesty surrounded by the evangelistic creatures, draws the eye beyond the high altar; it was designed by Graham Sutherland and was the largest tapestry ever made.
However one of the greatest features of Coventry is it's wealth of modern stained glass, something Spence resolved to include having witnessed the bleakness of Chartres Cathedral in wartime, all it's stained glass having been removed. The first window encountered on entering is the enormous 'chess-board' baptistry window filled with stunning abstract glass by John Piper & Patrick Reyntiens, a symphony of glowing colour. The staggered nave walls are illuminated by ten narrow floor to ceiling windows filled with semi-abstract symbolic designs arranged in pairs of dominant colours (green, red, multi-coloured, purple/blue and gold) representing the souls journey to maturity, and revealed gradually as one approaches the altar. This amazing project was the work of three designers lead by master glass artist Lawrence Lee of the Royal College of Art along with Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke (each artist designed three of the windows individually and all collaborated on the last).
The cathedral still dazzles the visitor with the boldness of it's vision, but alas, half a century on, it was not a vision to be repeated and few of the churches and cathedrals built since can claim to have embraced the synthesis of art and architecture in the way Basil Spence did at Coventry.
The cathedral is generally open to visitors most days. For more see below:-