WESTMINSTER
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WESTMINSTER
projected at intervals, and stiffened by transverse
walls, arcading and vaulting. But while, in a Gothic
cathedral these counterforts are generally most con-
spicuous features outside the building, at Westminster
Cathedral they are hmited to the interior, the space
between being entirely utihzed, as at St. Mark's,
Venice. It should be noted, however, that in the
latter instance the cruciform plan is emphasized by
making the transepts as important as the nave, while
at Westminster Cathedral they are virtually shut off
by the nave arcades, that maintain an unbroken con-
tinuity from west to east. This rhythm, or repeti-
tion of parts, produces an effect of length and height
quite lacking in the Venetian prototype. The main
piers and transverse arches that support the domes
divide the nave into three compartments, each 60
feet square. The domes rest on the arches at a
height of 90 feet from the floor; the total internal
height being 111 feet, or about 10 feet higher than the
choir of Westminster Abbey.
In selecting the pendentive type of dome, of .shallow concavity, for the main roofing, weight and pressure were reduced to a minimum. The pendentures that occupy the angles of the square compartments, and develop a circle 60 feet in diameter at a height of 90 feet from the floor, may be regarded as corbels, by which the weight of the domes is directed to the main piers. The domes and pendent ures are formed of con- crete, and as extraneous roofs of timber were dispensed with, it was necessary to provide a thin independent outer shell of impervious stone. The concrete flat roofing around the domes is covered with asphalt. The sanctuary, .54 feet square, is essentiaDy Byzan- tine in its system of construction. The extensions that open out on all sides make the luminous corona of the dome, raised aloft on pendentives, seem inde- pendent of support. The extensions on the north and south of the sanctuary are occupied by the organ galleries. On the exterior, the group formed by the sanctuary and the eastern turrets presents a subtle gradation of parts more oriental than the rest of the building and perhaps more expressive of the internal arrangements.
The eastern termination of the cathedral forming the retro-choir, whether viewed from the outside or the inside, suggests the Romanesque, or Lombardic style of Northern Italy. The crypt with openings into the sanctuary, thus closely following the Church of St. Ambrose, Milan, the open colonnade under the eaves, the timber roof following the curve of the apex, are all famihar features. The huge buttresses, however, give distinction, and resist the pressure of a vault 48 feet in span. Although the cruciform plan is hardly noticeable inside the building, it is empha- sized outside by the boldly projecting transei)ts. These with their twin gables, slated roofs, and square turrets with pyramidal stone cappings suggest a Norman prototype, and all in striking contrast to the rest of the design. The aspiring note, however, is provided by the campanile, 30 feet square, that rises from the ground to a height of 2S4 feet. Like some of the well-known towers of Italy its lines are unbroken for marking the height.
The main structural parts of the building are of brick and concrete, the latter material being used for the vaulting and domes of graduated thickness and complicated curve. Following Byzantine tradition, the mterior was designed with a view to the futiu'e application of marble and mosaic; and throughout the exterior, the lavish introduction of stone bands in connexion with the red brickwork produces an im- pression quite foreign to the iMiglish eye. The main entrance f.a^ade owes its composition, in a nieasm-e, to accident rather than design. Its apparent lack of height caused by the unavoidable recession of the upper parts is however compensated for by the lofty campanile, not many feet away. The most
prominent feature of the facade is the deeply recessed
arch over the central entrance, flanked by tribunes,
and stairway turrets. The tympanum of this arch is
left vacant for a subject in mosaic. The elevation
on the north, with a length of nearly 300 feet con-
trasted with the vertical lines of the campanile and
the transepts, is most impressive. It rests on a con-
tinuous and plain basement of gi-anite, and only above
the flat roofing of the chapels does the structure
assume a varied outhne. The porch next the tower
is an ornate and pleasing featiu-e of this elevation.
The lighting of the nave and sanctuary mainly de-
pends on large lunettes, just under the main vaulting.
On entering the cathedral the visitor who knows St. Mark's, Venice, or the churches of Constantinople, will note the absence of a spacious and well lighted outer narthex, comprising all the main entrances; but this is soon forgotten in view of the fine propor- tions of the nave, and the marble columns, \\'ith capi- tals of Byzantine type, that support the galleries and other subsidiary parts of the building. The marbles selected for the columns were, in some instances, obtained from formations quarried by the ancient Romans, chiefly in Greece. Thus, in the nave and transepts there are monohtlis of the green breccia of Atrax, in Thessaly, and the grayish green marble of Carystus, in the Island of Euboea. Besides these we see the pale green cipnllino of Switzerland, the red marble of Languedoc, and variegated breccias from Italy. In the sanctuary eight columns of yellow marble, from Verona, support the baldacchino over the high altar, and others, white and pink, from Nor- way, support the organ galleries. Two columns of the black and white breccia from the Pyrenees adorn the httle chapel of St. Thomas in the north transept, and shafts of Italian pavonazzo are in the baptistery, the chapel of the holy souls, and the sanctuary. In the crypt, under the retro-choir, sturdy monoliths of red gi-anite support the vaulting, and others, the gallery at the west end of the nave.
Respecting the general scheme of internal decoration the architect's intention was based on an appreciation of the principles underlying the apiilication of marble and mosaic, as exemplified by St. Mark's, Venice, and the churches of Ravenna and Constantinople. Accord- ingly we find in his design, the two materials separated by a boldly defined cornice at a uniform level through- out; the lower part being reserved for the marble plat- ing, and the upper for mosaic. The decoration already done is confined to thesanctuary and the chapels. Two of thelatter, t he chapel of the holy ••^ouls, and the chapel of Sts. Gregory and Augustine, are finished throughout. The httle shrine of the Sacred Heart is also finished; and the marble jilating is completed in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, the Lady Chapel, the chapel of St. Thomas, and St. Peter's crypt. The altars were all in position before the consecration of the cathedral on 28 .lune, 1910.
The chapels entered from the aisles of the nave are 22 feet wide, and roofed with simjile barrel vaulting. The chapel of Sts. Gregory and Augustine, next the baptistery, from which it is separated by an open screen of marble, was the first to have its decoration completed. The marble lining of the piers rises to the springing level of the vaulting and this level has determined the height of the altar reredos, and of the screen opposite. On the side wall, under the windows, the marble dado rises to but little more than half this height. From the cornices, at their levels, begins the mosaic decoration on the walls and vault. This general arrangement will apply to all the chapels entered from the aisles of the nave, yet each chapel will have its own distinct artistic character. Thus in the chapel of the holy souls on the opposite side of the nave, there are but slight deviations from the arrange- ment just described, though the tone of the decora- tion is more siibducd. and the det.iils differ. Italian
