There is a small but symbolic missing, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It could be that its completion by now... we don't really know, but it could mark a turning point in architecture, a return to decoration after a long period of buildings that were far too refined.
I'm a big believer in Wikipedia, although if you followed the controversy from her ex-CEO, you might question the idea that it works so well in an unbiased way!
Cool article, the way a city treats its public spaces says a great deal about its values.
One thing to be wary of when you establish your timeline is that ancient American architecture like the Chicken Itza is not as ancient as it seems. In fact our best guesses put the construction of the Chicken Itza somewhere around 600AD while the acropolis of Athens was build somewhere in 400BC. Also it is not likely that the Maya lacked the masonry skills to build a vaulted structure but chose to build religious sites to reflect natural phenomena of sacred importance. It’s interesting to imagine that they chose to replicate the mountains the same way others have chosen to construct artificial caves, both sites are, as you pointed out, naturally occurring sites of spirituality. Really interesting to see separate societies arriving at the same conclusion, public spaces must be sacred in some way and are integral pieces of maintaining a sense of union within a people.
As we progress as a secular society it is of the utmost importance that we find a way to create sacred public spaces that represent our evolving values, and endure.
This was great, especially the points about the psychology of cathedrals. I think they can also inspire awe for the worldly: whether they're churches or skyscrapers, they're built by men and can speak to both our potential for greatness and our spiritual need to see that such greatness is possible. They represent the architecture of the heroic.
Cathedrals, and equivalent building during other periods of history, are an effective form of the eldest type of propaganda: monuments and architecture.
Sometimes it's not just the greatness of the construction itself, but the possitioning within the city. Castles on top of hills (not just a defensive measure), large fountains and statues at the beginning and end of principal streets, and palaces and churches within the main squares.
The building labelled as the British Museum is actually the Natural History Museum (also in London). Still a great building and both are worthy inclusions.
Fascinating article! An interesting expansion of the concept of "cathedral." I look forward to your speculations on 21st century versions of cathedrals, though sports stadia may continue to fulfill that role for years to come; our sports/entertainment industry certainly is an object of reverence and worship for many people.
A bit of picky pedantry about two of your labels. The building at Epidaurus in Greece is a theater, not an amphitheater. The Colosseum in Rome **is** an amphitheater, in effect two theaters situated "face to face," as it were. The spelling you use, "coliseum," is attested in post-Roman times and often used for sports stadia today. The original name was apparently derived from the fact that it was erected, after Nero's death, near the spot where that infamous emperor had erected a gigantic statue of himself, the so-called Colossus Neronis.
The Natural History museum in London has all the qualities of a cathedral, particularly the facade and the main atrium.
Also the national mall in Washington DC.
Would you include grand city parks? They are perhaps the garden rooms of cities.
The idea of Wikipedia being a cathedral is an interesting one, if we include virtual space then for me social networks qualify, but certainly lack the longevity of your physical examples, which perhaps is a metaphor in itself.
I’m thinking of creating a “house of presence” litterally the house I want to live in where we refrain from bringing mindless activities and devices in common spaces.
When the population is mostly Amish because all the people that got sucked into the Matrix didn’t have children, things will get back to a new normal. Lol
There is a small but symbolic missing, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It could be that its completion by now... we don't really know, but it could mark a turning point in architecture, a return to decoration after a long period of buildings that were far too refined.
Although it was designed in the 19th century...
It's work in progress still but you are right. It should be on this list.
Nice piece. More impressive than cathedrals themselves is the process of cathedral building, which spans generations, technologies. I’ve led to Wikipedia as a 21st-century cathedral of knowledge. https://revkin.substack.com/p/why-wikipedia-works-even-for-climate
Thanks!
I'm a big believer in Wikipedia, although if you followed the controversy from her ex-CEO, you might question the idea that it works so well in an unbiased way!
The photo of the Sears Tower in Chicago is actually the Trump Tower…..
Ooops corrected!
Nice piece. There are some factories that are like cathedrals. In Berlin: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/industrial-architecture
Not that beautiful though...?
Nice roundup of beautiful building efforts .
Cool article, the way a city treats its public spaces says a great deal about its values.
One thing to be wary of when you establish your timeline is that ancient American architecture like the Chicken Itza is not as ancient as it seems. In fact our best guesses put the construction of the Chicken Itza somewhere around 600AD while the acropolis of Athens was build somewhere in 400BC. Also it is not likely that the Maya lacked the masonry skills to build a vaulted structure but chose to build religious sites to reflect natural phenomena of sacred importance. It’s interesting to imagine that they chose to replicate the mountains the same way others have chosen to construct artificial caves, both sites are, as you pointed out, naturally occurring sites of spirituality. Really interesting to see separate societies arriving at the same conclusion, public spaces must be sacred in some way and are integral pieces of maintaining a sense of union within a people.
As we progress as a secular society it is of the utmost importance that we find a way to create sacred public spaces that represent our evolving values, and endure.
With any luck: launchpads / spaceports and space/moon stations.
That's one of the types I discuss in the premium article indeed!
From the pedantry corner:
Actually, only 3 of the Guild houses in Antwerp are authentic, the others are 19th century replica's. See https://www.hotel-bb.com/nl/belgie/gids/grote-markt-antwerpen (in Dutch).
And the "Loodswezen" building was built in 1892 in "eclectic" style - a romantic hodgepodge of older styles... See https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loodswezen_(Antwerpen).
Thanks! I didn't know
This was great, especially the points about the psychology of cathedrals. I think they can also inspire awe for the worldly: whether they're churches or skyscrapers, they're built by men and can speak to both our potential for greatness and our spiritual need to see that such greatness is possible. They represent the architecture of the heroic.
I wrote a bit on this topic a few weeks ago here, if of interest: https://www.ryanpuzycki.com/p/two-cathedrals
Cathedrals, and equivalent building during other periods of history, are an effective form of the eldest type of propaganda: monuments and architecture.
Sometimes it's not just the greatness of the construction itself, but the possitioning within the city. Castles on top of hills (not just a defensive measure), large fountains and statues at the beginning and end of principal streets, and palaces and churches within the main squares.
Great article :)
I like your term better: Monumental Propaganda. I should have called this article that. I might use it in the future!
Good addition on the position too!
The building labelled as the British Museum is actually the Natural History Museum (also in London). Still a great building and both are worthy inclusions.
Thanks for the correction!
Fascinating article! An interesting expansion of the concept of "cathedral." I look forward to your speculations on 21st century versions of cathedrals, though sports stadia may continue to fulfill that role for years to come; our sports/entertainment industry certainly is an object of reverence and worship for many people.
A bit of picky pedantry about two of your labels. The building at Epidaurus in Greece is a theater, not an amphitheater. The Colosseum in Rome **is** an amphitheater, in effect two theaters situated "face to face," as it were. The spelling you use, "coliseum," is attested in post-Roman times and often used for sports stadia today. The original name was apparently derived from the fact that it was erected, after Nero's death, near the spot where that infamous emperor had erected a gigantic statue of himself, the so-called Colossus Neronis.
I didn’t know! Thank you. I will correct as soon as I get in front of my computer.
The Natural History museum in London has all the qualities of a cathedral, particularly the facade and the main atrium.
Also the national mall in Washington DC.
Would you include grand city parks? They are perhaps the garden rooms of cities.
The idea of Wikipedia being a cathedral is an interesting one, if we include virtual space then for me social networks qualify, but certainly lack the longevity of your physical examples, which perhaps is a metaphor in itself.
I think these places are going to empty as people spend more time at home on digital entertainment.
They will. So what type of activity can bring people back?
I’m thinking of creating a “house of presence” litterally the house I want to live in where we refrain from bringing mindless activities and devices in common spaces.
When the population is mostly Amish because all the people that got sucked into the Matrix didn’t have children, things will get back to a new normal. Lol
Wonderful post
This a delightful context for all of the places I have visited and wondered why I was in such awe of them.