Designing Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Cathedral 1903

As my final year project approaches an end I'm taking some to look over the driving forces behind my proposal, located across from Westminster Cathedral. It seemed fitting to look back that bit further to the forces that shaped Bentley's design of the Cathedral in 1903. 

Catholic congregations were still restricted to worshipping in small side chapels long after the Emancipation in the late eighteenth century. And when land was finally secured for a Catholic Cathedral in Westminster, many factors had to be considered in its design.

Proximity to Westminster Abbey and the relationship between the two churches meant that the Cathedral did not want to be a mere imitation of the Gothic style of the Abbey. The Cardinal was weary that, both the proximity to the Abbey and the style of the mansion houses surrounding the site of the new Cathedral would ridicule a Gothic style. However the architect, John Francis Bentley preferred the Gothic style.

The constricted urban site also posed difficulties. With a limited choice of land available at this time how could the Catholic church assert their presence as more than a back street, nonconformist religion.

Cardinal Vaughan and Bentley sought inspiration on a trip to Italy and became influenced by Early Christian Byzantine Architecture. Although Bentley was unable to visit Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia was clearly also of inspiration to the architect.

Basilica di Sant’Apollinare, Ravenna. 504

Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna. 527

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. 562

Cheisa di Santa Fosca, Torcello. 639

Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice. 1063

Using a Byzantine style Bentley clearly distinguished the new Catholic Cathedral from Westminster Abbey as well as St Pauls. Bentley used a tall Campanile, often associated with this style of architecture and undoubtedly influenced by his time in Venice, to break out of the restricted urban fabric and to compete with the West Towers of the Abbey.