Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
When I planned a visit in Liverpool in 2006, I intended to get a guide book, but instead got a book on the city’s architecture. I must admit, I was in heaven. As an architectural photographer, to have a book that celebrates a city’s architecture is heaven.
Arriving in Liverpool, I knew that the only day that was forecasted to be sunny was the day I arrived on. There was one building I wanted to photograph with the sun – as it was a very modern white building, and would not look as good in overcast weather. I must admit, the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral didn’t disappoint when I arrived.
Not surprisingly, the Grade II* Roman Catholic Cathedral is one of Liverpool's many listed buildings. It is sometimes known locally as "Paddy's Wigwam" or the "Mersey Funnel". When I first visited, it was closed and I wasn’t able to get in. However, the outside of the building is a treat to photograph. Essentially, it’s a circular building with symmetry. This may sound at a bit contradictory, but it’s not.
The Church itself is a circular building, but there are beams extending out from the roof to the floor which create triangles around the building. Playing with the circular symmetry and the light coloured building against the blue sky, I managed to capture some great images of the building.
A few days later, I went back to the Cathedral to have a look inside. It managed to fuse a very modern building with the traditional trappings of a Roman Catholic Church. Many things caught my eye, and were photographed. However, one of my favourite images was a blue stained glass window.
Arriving in Liverpool, I knew that the only day that was forecasted to be sunny was the day I arrived on. There was one building I wanted to photograph with the sun – as it was a very modern white building, and would not look as good in overcast weather. I must admit, the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral didn’t disappoint when I arrived.
Not surprisingly, the Grade II* Roman Catholic Cathedral is one of Liverpool's many listed buildings. It is sometimes known locally as "Paddy's Wigwam" or the "Mersey Funnel". When I first visited, it was closed and I wasn’t able to get in. However, the outside of the building is a treat to photograph. Essentially, it’s a circular building with symmetry. This may sound at a bit contradictory, but it’s not.
The Church itself is a circular building, but there are beams extending out from the roof to the floor which create triangles around the building. Playing with the circular symmetry and the light coloured building against the blue sky, I managed to capture some great images of the building.
A few days later, I went back to the Cathedral to have a look inside. It managed to fuse a very modern building with the traditional trappings of a Roman Catholic Church. Many things caught my eye, and were photographed. However, one of my favourite images was a blue stained glass window.
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, UK
I find religious buildings interesting to photograph. They are a reflection of a particular spirituality, of a community and the character of that community.
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