In order to celebrate the golden Jubilee of the official grand opening of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, a select collection of the designs of this iconic landmark have been put on display in the entrance to the cathedral.
The display has been created in collaboration with Liverpool John Moores University and showcases a number of designs that were submitted in 1960 as part of an architectural competition. This will be the first time these designs have been displayed.
The variety of design drawings that have been selected to be a part of this celebratory exhibition are on view to visitors in the main entrance to the cathedral. The exhibition displays the various amazing designs that were submitted in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral’s grand opening.
On display to the public are the designs that were shortlisted during the 1960s competition and a select number of other designs that are interesting solutions to the brief that was supplied to the entrants. Design proposals for the cathedral needed to meet the specifications on the brief, which included seating for 3,000 worshippers with an unobstructed view of a high altaar. The budget for the Cathedral project was set at £1 million. It is thought that the project budget would have allowed the entrants to explore a range of innovative building methods as well as unique architecture and production for the prospective cathedral.
In the end, the winning design was submitted to the competition by Frederick Gibberd and it is thought that the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral went on to have a significant impact on British Catholic Architecture as well as setting an impressive precedent for a number of projects in the future.
The exhibition opened on the 27th of July and there will also be a select number of newly commissioned physical models of the key design schemes from the competition.
