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==Design==
==Design==
[[File:Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, interior.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the Cathedral]]
[[File:Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, interior.jpg|thumb|left|Interior of the Cathedral]]
Forsaking [[Gothic Revival architecture|19th century Gothic]], Petre designed the new church in a [[Renaissance]], Italian [[basilica]] style, with one major exception. Ignoring Renaissance convention, Petre obtained a greater visual impact by siting the Italianate green copper-roofed [[dome]] not above the cross section of the church (as in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome), but directly above the sanctuary. In Petre's opinion, this design element, coupled with the [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] [[apse]], added extra grandeur and theatre to the high altar set in the [[tribune (architecture)|tribune]]. The nave and chancel roofs were supported by colonnades of [[Ionic order|ionic]] columns and the entrance facade of the cathedral was flanked by twin towers in the manner of many of Europe's great renaissance churches.
Forsaking [[Gothic Revival architecture|19th century Gothic]], Petre designed the new church in a [[Renaissance]], Italian [[basilica]] style, with one major exception. Ignoring Renaissance convention, Petre obtained a greater visual impact by siting the Italianate green copper-roofed [[dome]] not above the cross section of the church (as in [[St. Peter's Basilica]] in Rome), but directly above the sanctuary. In Petre's opinion, this design element, coupled with the [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine]] [[apse]], added extra grandeur and theatre to the high altar set in the [[tribune (architecture)|tribune]]. The nave and chancel roofs were supported by colonnades of [[Ionic order|ionic]] columns and the entrance facade of the cathedral was flanked by twin towers in the manner of many of Europe's great renaissance churches.<ref name="thesis">Hamilton PR. (1986) Francis Petre: 1847–1918. An Investigation into New Zealand Architectural Biogrphy. MA Thesis, University of Auckland; Wynn-Williams, D. B. (1982). The basilicas of F. W. Petre. MA thesis, University of Canterbury.</ref>


While often likened to [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in London, it is conceivable that the greatest influence behind this structure was [[Benoit Haffreingue]]. During Petre's formative years, Haffreingue had been the driving force of the reconstruction of the cathedral of Notre Dame in [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]], a French cathedral that has a very similar plan to that of The Blessed Sacrament, including the controversial siting of the dome over the altar rather than the centre of the cathedral.
While often likened to [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in London, it is conceivable that the greatest influence behind this structure was [[Benoit Haffreingue]]. During Petre's formative years, Haffreingue had been the driving force of the reconstruction of the cathedral of Notre Dame in [[Boulogne-sur-Mer]], a French cathedral that has a very similar plan to that of The Blessed Sacrament, including the controversial siting of the dome over the altar rather than the centre of the cathedral.<ref name="thesis"/>


== Earthquake effects ==
== Earthquake effects ==

Revision as of 23:06, 17 July 2012

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch, F. W. Petre's largest completed work (pictured in 2005). The central pediment is in the style of Sebastiano Serlio

The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, located in the city centre of Christchurch, New Zealand, commonly known as the Christchurch Basilica,[1] is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Christchurch and seat of the Bishop of Christchurch. It was designed by architect Francis Petre.

The building, said by some to be based on the 19th-century Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Paris[2] is held to be the finest renaissance style building in New Zealand.[2]

On 7 April 1983, the building was registered as a Category I heritage item by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, with the registration number 47. It is regarded as an outstanding example of church architecture in Australasia, and is regarded as Petre's best design.[3][2]

The Cathedral was closed after the 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake. The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake collapsed the two bell towers at the front of the building and destabilised the dome.[4] The dome was removed and the rear of the Cathedral was demolished. Whether the Cathedral is to be restored or demolished is yet to be decided.[5]

History

Cathedral of The Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch, under construction. The nave is lined with Ionic columns

A 24 feet (7.3 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m) wooden chapel was built on Barbadoes Street, south east of the city centre, in October 1860 for newly arrived Marist missionary priests. This chapel was replaced by a larger wooden church designed by Benjamin Mountfort in 1864, which was expanded over the years to become the Pro Cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Christchurch in 1887. At the instigation of Bishop John Grimes S.M., the first Catholic bishop of Christchurch, the old church was moved to Ferry Road and construction of a new cathedral began in 1901. The new cathedral was officially opened on 12 February 1905, a mere four years after construction began.

Construction

The Cathedral with the Sisters of Our Lady of the Mission Chapel in the background.

The architect Petre had previous experience in using concrete, designing dock walls and sewers as a draughtsman. This knowledge allowed Petre to use innovative methods during construction such as pouring heart walls with concrete and then facing with stone.[6] Mass-produced components were widely used, including curved arches made in a purpose built moulding machine.[7]

The Cathedral, constructed of concrete sheathed in Oamaru limestone,[2] was widely acclaimed, causing the famous author George Bernard Shaw to describe Petre as a "New Zealand Brunelleschi". Fifty men were employed on the site, and in excess of 120,000 cubic ft (3400 m³) of stone, 4,000 cubic ft (110 m³) of concrete, and 90 tons of steel were used in the construction. Problems with finding suitable stone for the construction of such a large structure caused financial difficulties during the construction, and a special Act was pushed through parliament by then Premier Richard Seddon in order to aid with the financing of the building. The total cost to the Roman Catholic diocese was £52,000.

Design

Interior of the Cathedral

Forsaking 19th century Gothic, Petre designed the new church in a Renaissance, Italian basilica style, with one major exception. Ignoring Renaissance convention, Petre obtained a greater visual impact by siting the Italianate green copper-roofed dome not above the cross section of the church (as in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome), but directly above the sanctuary. In Petre's opinion, this design element, coupled with the Byzantine apse, added extra grandeur and theatre to the high altar set in the tribune. The nave and chancel roofs were supported by colonnades of ionic columns and the entrance facade of the cathedral was flanked by twin towers in the manner of many of Europe's great renaissance churches.[8]

While often likened to St Paul's Cathedral in London, it is conceivable that the greatest influence behind this structure was Benoit Haffreingue. During Petre's formative years, Haffreingue had been the driving force of the reconstruction of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Boulogne-sur-Mer, a French cathedral that has a very similar plan to that of The Blessed Sacrament, including the controversial siting of the dome over the altar rather than the centre of the cathedral.[8]

Earthquake effects

The 2010 Canterbury earthquake a Richter magnitude 7.1 earthquake on 4 September 2010 resulted in the closure of the Cathedral to the public indefinitely, to allow for seismic strengthening and restoration. Masses were not celebrated at the Cathedral from the September earthquake, but took place at other nearby locations such as the chapel of the adjacent Music Centre. However, although his Requiem Mass was celebrated at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Manchester St, Bishop Cunneen was buried in the Cathedral.[9]

Damage from the 22 February 2011 earthquake

The February 2011 Christchurch earthquake (22 February 2011), a Richter magnitude 6.3 earthquake, caused considerable damage to the Cathedral. The Cathedral administrator, Monsignor Charles Drennan, said that engineers had indicated that it was unlikely the building could be saved. The two bell towers at the front of the building collapsed, bringing much of the front façade down with them, with large blocks of masonry destroying vehicles in front of the building. There was also major cracking evident around the Cathedral's main dome. Stained glass windows, which had survived the 4 September earthquake and some 4,000 aftershocks, were also "in ruins". Monsignor Drennan said that workers repairing damage to the building caused by the earlier earthquake, escaped, as did a custodian who was in the Cathedral at the time.[10] Drennan told Kim Hill in a National Radio interview on 5 March that the screams of the children at the nearby school when the earthquake struck at nine minutes to one "will stay with him for a long time". He and other priests were having lunch when the violent shaking started and they dived under the table from where one of them watched the towers falling from the Cathedral.[11]

The building has been described as "quite humbled". On the collapsed front, "all that was left at the top was a cross piercing the sky – two angels abreast keeping vigil".[12] Msgr Drennan and three other priests were forced to evacuate the Cathedral Rectory by authorities. This was not because of any damage to that building, but because authorities wanted to clear the central city area of people for security reasons.[13][14] Adjoining parts of Catholic Cathedral College were threatened by the severely damaged Cathedral and the college had to shift to St Thomas of Canterbury College under a "site-sharing" arrangement.[15]

Dealing with the damage

On 2 March, Bishop Jones decided that the dome of the Cathedral would be removed after an inspection revealed another large earthquake could topple it completely. An engineer's report showed that the Cathedral's dome was forcing weight-bearing structures outwards and that another earthquake like the magnitude 6.3 on 22 February would topple the dome. The Bishop said that the removal of the dome would begin as soon as possible, but other work had to be completed and equipment assembled before work could begin. The removal of the dome would be done by cranes at a distance from the site because of the risk of collapse. The Bishop also said that no decisions would be made about the future of the building until a detailed engineering report was generated after the dome has been removed.

Sept.2011: A year after the quake, the cathedral - less its dome - is held up by shipping containers and haybales

Until the 22 February earthquake, Masses were being held at the Catholic Cathedral College assembly hall near the Cathedral, but the Bishop said he did not know where future services would be held. He said: "We don't know anything, all we're concerned about now is protecting human life."[4]

On 5 March, the Minister of Earthquake Recovery, Gerry Brownlee told a media briefing that if he had his way, most of Christchurch's heritage buildings would be demolished but that he would like to see resources go into rebuilding the ChristChurch Cathedral, the Catholic Basilica, the Canterbury Provincial Chambers and the Christchurch Arts Centre – "but that's it – There will be a few others perhaps, but those would be the most iconic buildings that Christchurch residents would want to see rebuilt. They won't be put back the way they were. They will need to have a great deal of strengthening put into them and it will be quite a long consideration as to how those things might be done."[16]

After the June 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the dome of the Cathedral was removed. The outer copper dome was cut into segments and was finally removed on 26 July and the internal decorative dome was removed intact in August. The damaged rear of the Cathedral was demolished to a low level in October.[17] Meanwhile, in August, Catholic Cathedral College was able to reoccupy its buildings.[18]

Statue of Mary

A statue of the Virgin Mary that was in the north tower of the Cathedral turned 180 degrees during the February earthquake so that instead of facing into the Cathedral it was facing out. It became a quake survival symbol after the about face as it looked out of a tower window over the battered city. On 29 May the statue was carried around the damaged Cathedral, once again the centrepiece for a religious ceremony. After circumnavigating the Cathedral grounds, the 200-strong congregation witnessed the Bishop of Christchurch consecrating the city of Christchurch to Mary. The statue had been damaged while being removed from the tower, but was repaired by Carmelite nuns in time for the procession.[19]

Restoration or demolition?

Full restoration of the Cathedral would cost more than $100 million. Construction of a new Cathedral would cost $40 million. The engineering report was completed for the Bishop at the end of 2011. The building is insured for "full replacement", leaving a funding shortfall if restoration is chosen.[20] There are three options – the demolition of the existing building, the reconstruction of the Cathedral to its former glory, "or, in the short-term, the mothballing" of the building "until there is a clearer picture".[21]

Meanwhile, the decision to demolish the Anglican Cathedral has caused great controversy.

March 2012: the shipping containers are now just supporting the flanks of the cathedral. The main building of the Music Centre of Christchurch to the left has been demolished.

One commentator has asked why there is "relative silence over the future of the Basilica for the Catholics who are allowed to get on with their decision-making processes in relative peace, while the Anglicans have to fight it out in the streets and letters to the editor pages of The Press? I suspect there remains in Christchurch the notion of old that the Catholics are still regarded as peripheral, parked over on the edge of town in an area back in the day that was next to the gas works that turned the cathedral a nicotine yellow. Now the distance from the heart of the city seems to have at last paid off as the Basilica's counterpart in the Square can't get out of the ring".[22]

As at 7 May 2012, the Catholic Diocese had spent about $3 million deconstructing the damaged parts of the Cathedral, on cleaning and saving and numbering stones, windows and unique elements, and on transporting material, at night, to "somewhere in the flat wastelands of far western Christchurch". The facilities and shrink-wrapping allowed the individually numbered objects to be kept in the "best condition possible" and which, even if they are not used for any rebuild, may be used as a guide for the design of new elements. A decision on whether the Cathedral will be rebuilt or demolished may not be taken until 2013. The Cathedral's fate is considered in the context of it being just one of 20 damaged churches in the Christchurch Catholic Diocese. The Diocese has to deal with insurance issues and decisions on other assets, which included schools, retirement villages, church halls and presbyteries, as well as churches. The church has adequate insurance cover with Ansvar. More deconstruction work will take place later in 2012. There is a plan to remove more windows and the main organ. The wider Diocese will be "involved in some way" in the final decision whether to demolish or restore the Cathedral.[23]

Burials

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Catholic Diocese of Christchurch
  2. ^ a b c d archINFORM
  3. ^ "Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  4. ^ a b Mathewson, Nicole (2 March 2011). "Dome of Catholic Cathedral to be removed". The Press. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  5. ^ Harper, Paul (4 April 2011). "Quake-damaged church to be demolished". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  6. ^ McGill, David (1997). Landmarks – Notable Historic Buildings of New Zealand. Auckland: Godwit Publishing Ltd.
  7. ^ Shaw, Peter (2003). A History of New Zealand Architecture. Auckland: Hodder Moa Beckett.
  8. ^ a b Hamilton PR. (1986) Francis Petre: 1847–1918. An Investigation into New Zealand Architectural Biogrphy. MA Thesis, University of Auckland; Wynn-Williams, D. B. (1982). The basilicas of F. W. Petre. MA thesis, University of Canterbury.
  9. ^ "Former Bishops", Catholic Diocese of Christchurch website (retrieved 23 February 2011)
  10. ^ Michael Otto, "Christchurch Catholic Cathedral partially destroyed in earthquake", NZ Catholic, Wednesday 23 February 2011 (retrieved 23 February 2011)
  11. ^ "New bishop coming but not quite yet", Wel-com, April 2011, Issue 282, p. 13.
  12. ^ Jane Bowron "Riding the cycle of life and death", The Dominion Post, Thursday, 24 February 2011, p. B5.
  13. ^ Michael Otto, "Christchurch schools and churches off limits pending inspection", New Zealand Catholic, Friday 25 February 2011 (retrieved 25 February 2011)
  14. ^ Earthquake. Catholic Diocese of Christchurch official website. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
  15. ^ Catholic Cathedral College homepage (retrieved 2 March 2011)
  16. ^ "Brownlee takes hard line on damaged heritage buildings". The New Zealand Herald. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  17. ^ "Cathedral's Dome rises through the roof", The Press, 26 August 2011. (retrieved 26 January 2012)
  18. ^ Catholic Cathedral College Newsletter, 07-26 August (retrieved 26 January 2012)
  19. ^ Michael Wright, "Procession gives Mary tour of damaged site'", The Press, 30 May 2011 (retrieved 17 may 2012)
  20. ^ Charlie Gates, "Cardboard cathedral will go ahead", The Press, 10 December 2010.(retrieved 26 January 2012)
  21. ^ "Church takes Time on Cathedral fate", Sunday Star Times, 26 February 2012. (retrieved 27 February 2012)
  22. ^ Jane Bowron, "Catholics decide fate of their cathedral in peace", The Press, 16 April 2012. (retrieved 17 April 2012)
  23. ^ Paul Gorman, "Catholics bide time on cathedral: decision on Catholic cathedral months away", The Press, 7 May 2012. (retrieved 17 May 2012).

References

43°32′18″S 172°38′46″E / 43.5383°S 172.6460°E / -43.5383; 172.6460

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