2. St Paul’s
• The Cathedral is one of the most famous and
most recognizable sights of LONDON, with its
dome, framed by the spires of Wren's City
Churches, dominating the skyline for 300
years. At 365 feet (111 m) high, it was the
tallest building in LONDON from 1710 to
1962, and its dome is also among the highest
in the world. In terms of area, St Paul's is
the second largest church building in
the UNITED KINGDOM after LIVERPOOL
Cathedral.
3. Architect
Sir Christopher Wren was the Architect Who
Rebuilt London.
After the Great Fire of London, Sir Christopher
Wren designed new churches and supervised
the reconstruction of some of London's most
important buildings.
• Born:
October 20, 1632 at East Knoyle in
Wiltshire, England
• Died:
February 25, 1723 in London, at age 91.
4. • The St. Paul is constructed in BAROQUE STYLE.
• A style of architecture and art originating in ITALY in the early 17th
century and variously prevalent in EUROPE and the New World for a
century and a half, characterized by free and sculptural use of the
classical orders and ornament, by forms in elevation and plan
suggesting movement, and by dramatic effect in which
architecture, panting, sculpture, and the decorative arts often
worked to combined effect.
6. The WHISPERING GALLERY runs around the inside of the dome 99 feet (30.2 m) above the
cathedral floor. It is reached by 259 steps from ground level. It gets its name because of the
acoustic effects peculiar to domes; a whisper against its wall at any point is audible to a listener
with an ear held to the wall at any other point around the gallery. A low murmur is equally
audible.
7. Specifications
Height 365ft (111m)
Dome height (outer) 278ft (85m)
Dome height (inner) 225ft (68m)
Dome diameter (outer) 112ft (34m)
Dome diameter (inner) 102ft (31m)
8. Structural Features
Buttress given for extra Deep recesses in the walls Thick walls are provided
strength for screen walls. for windows. internally.
The large crossing dome is composed of three layers: the first triple dome
ever to be constructed. The inner and outer layers
are catenary curves, but the structural integrity to support the heavy
stone structure atop the dome is provided by a intermediary layer which
is much steeper and more conical in shape. The dome is restrained round
its base by a wrought iron chain to prevent it spreading and cracking.
11. • Details of the towers at the
west end (illustration, left)
and their dark voids are
boldly scaled, in order to
read well from the street
below and from a
distance, for the towers
have always stood out in
the urban skyline. They are
composed of two
complementary elements, a
central cylinder rising
through the tiers in a series
of stacked drums, and
paired CORINTHIAN
COLUMNS at the
corners, with BUTTRESSES a
bove them, which serve to
Description unify the drum shape with
the square block plinth
12. Corinthian columns
• The base of the inner dome is 173 feet (53.4 m) above the
floor. Its top is about 65 m above the floor, making this the
greatest height of the enclosed space. The cathedral is some
574 feet (175 m) in length (including the portico of the
Great West Door), of which 223 feet (68 m) is the nave and
167 feet (51 m) is the choir. The width of the nave is 121
feet (37 m) and across the transepts is 246 feet (75 m). The
cathedral is thus slightly shorter but somewhat wider than
Old St Paul's.
13. • The clock mechanism was
built in 1893 by Smith of
Derby incorporating a design
of escapement. clock
mechanism is 5.8 meters long
and is the most recent of the
clocks introduced to ST
PAUL'S CATHEDRAL over the
centuries.
