“St Paul’s Cathedral, London, England – Jan 2010” by Nikopol is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

Principles and Elements

The St. Paul Cathedral shows texture through its intricate stone walls and exterior crowning taking shape. The light reflecting from the exterior at certain times of the day gives the Cathedral a golden glow, defining its small features. The color palette displayed shows greys, beige, and hues of blue and yellow. This gives St. Paul a neutral outlook and a warmer vibe surrounding the exterior. The dome displayed at the top center of the structure takes emphasis and unity with your eyes drawn to it. It shows columns surrounding it and a giant, detailed golden cross representing the religion practiced there.

“St Pauls Cathedral Interior 7 (6801396136)” by Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Connections

There are several different connections between religion and Roman architecture. The interior space shows religion through the stained glass showing stories of the bible, Jesus on the cross, and other statues of figures from the bible as well surrounding the pulpit stand. Religion ties into Roman-style architecture through the colors and crown molding details because of how unique and bold the religious statues and wall crown moldings are. The tile on the floor ties into the statues, and the pulpit also stands because of coordinated shading and colors. The colors that coordinate the two are gold, red, and black.

“St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England” by n_willsey is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Scale

Christopher Wren designed the St. Paul Cathedral in 1675; however, it wasn’t completed until 1710, taking 35 years to be built. For 253 years after, it stood as the tallest building in London, 365 feet tall. When looking at the exterior, Wren chose to use crown moldings, columns, and intricate sculptures on the sides of the Cathedral. Many arches are displayed around windows. The Corinthian columns give the exterior a more detailed and aged exterior. The black clock with the gold Roman numbers and handles brightens and draws your eyes to it. The interior of the Cathedral pays attention to detail in similar ways. It has taller ceilings and bigger rooms for scaling and can be seen as holy and comfortable for visiting people.

“File:St Paul’s Cathedral Interior Dome 2 crop, London, UK – Diliff.jpg” by Diliff is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Materials

The exterior of the St. Paul Cathedral is made of lightweight materials such as specific bricks, chunar stone, and stucco. It has stained glass windows in the chapel telling stories of the bible. In another part of the Cathedral, where the dome is, the light is displayed through more enormous glass windows that aren’t stained. It has gold accents on the walls, Corinthian columns, and arches that stretch across the dome. The gold features lighten the room and provide details for personal style choices. The top of the dome shows a painting of columns and a story. The painting shows a battle from ancient times in shades of brown.

“London St Paul’s Cathedral Interior 04” by Ad Meskens is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Light and Color

Natural lights illuminate the interior of St. Paul. Wren maximized light by using natural lights through large windows, both stained and unstained, all throughout the Cathedral. The lighting for visitors provides a sense of hope and faith for when they go to worship God. The large windows towering over the dome and the halls you walk through all parts of the Cathedral maximize how big the interior space truly is. Artificial lights are also shown through the structure, outside of natural light. Wren installed gothic revival chandeliers hanging from the tall ceilings that look like older candle holders. He also offered floor lamps similar to the chandeliers for more lighting. The colors used are neutral whites, blacks, shades of brown, and gold. This mix of colors emphasizes where it’s needed and provides a clean look. When using colors, he provided most through the stained glass windows as they told stories from the bible.

“Anne of Great Britain, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, GB, IMG 5190 edit” by Christoph Braun is marked with CC0 1.0.

Experience

As you progress through the St. Paul Cathedral, the flow from one room to the next is consistent in a Gothic revival style. This interior style creates a harmonious atmosphere in each room, making similar design patterns, styles, and overall vibes. The cathedral experience for guests has been very strong through faithfulness and hopeful striving because it is a place of worship. Materials used to give it an ethereal feeling are stone walls, wood, and metals for the shine on more minor details across the ceilings and walls. Wren’s choices in style have made the Cathedral an essential place for not just people of London or religion but anyone who visits and experiences the architecture and spiritual feelings of the Cathedral.

“Tip Of the Dome, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London” by Ian Muttoo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Finishes

As Christopher Wren designed the Cathedral, he added details such as the gold cross on the top of the dome, corinthian columns, paintings of stories on the top of the dome’s interior, and many other small details. The gold cross, in particular, stood out because of the minor information designed on the cross to make it in the shape of a cross from the gold metal used. Although the Great Fire of London from 1666 delayed the construction process, they still completed it in 1710. As they finished the Cathedral, Wren made a commemorative stone tile for the lives of men and women who “saved the cathedral from destruction.”

“St Paul’s Cathedral interior” by louisa_catlover is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Furnishings

Wren’s overall design for furniture was intricately thought out with more minor details. From the darker-washed benches for praying in the church to the intricate tile with various colors and patterns, these two examples make the Cathedral’s design very geometrical and unique compared to other cathedrals. Stained glass details indicate stories of the bible and the purpose of the building. The repetition of dental molding and gothic arches through the Cathedral creates a pattern to commemorate religion.

“St Paul’s Cathedral from the Whispering Gallery” by Matt Biddulph is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Telling Stories

The St. Paul Cathedral conveys stories from the Bible that resonate with God and Jesus. Different areas of the cathedral showcase various themes and elements. For instance, behind the pulpit, there are statues of Jesus on the cross, as well as stained glass windows illustrating different Bible stories, such as those of Jesus and his disciples.

“Anne of Great Britain, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, England, GB, IMG 5191 edit” by Christoph Braun is marked with CC0 1.0.

Theories

St. Paul Cathedral by Christopher Wren shows many different theories of design. One theory is that Wren used emphasis and unity in interior and exterior architecture. This is demonstrated through crown moldings, corinthian columns, statues, and consistent color palettes throughout the Cathedral. Clean lines are displayed, and attention is drawn to small details that show emphasis and unity because of their consistency with one another. The design of St. Paul is unique in itself because it is one of the tallest cathedrals in the world.

Informative Links

• St. Paul’s Cathedral, United Kingdom — Google Arts & Culture
• Saint Paul’s Cathedral | London, UK History & Architecture | Britannica
• About us | St Paul’s Cathedral
• St Paul’s Cathedral – Wikipedia
• Designing St Paul’s Cathedral — Google Arts & Culture
• 12 Amazing Little Details To Spot Inside St Paul’s Cathedral – Living London History