Page 35 - Studio International - June 1967

enough in colour and general effect to tell from the floor powder-colour, on the floor, full-size before the glass was
of the church; the windows must throw coloured light made.
downwards from the lantern when the sun was strong and Structural and engineering considerations affected the
in the zenith; and we must enrich the whole interior with- design somewhat, without materially altering the whole
out complicating it; and lastly the lantern must act as a design scheme. The discipline of working within the
coloured beacon at night in distant cityscapes of Liver- engineer's requirements was, in fact, on the whole wel-
pool. come and enjoyable. Transverse divisions as well as
A simple contrast of light and colour clearly provided the horizontal bars of formidable proportions and criss-cross
answer. There must be holes of light: daylight pouring reinforcements here and there were taken in our stride.
in during the day, and artificial light pouring out at The architect and his partner, Jack Forrest, were tolerant
night, the holes to be in large areas-not of darkness only and encouraging throughout, and after the initial briefing
but of brilliantly-coloured darkness. How many holes, and they left the designers an absolutely free hand.
how big? Three, to symbolize the Trinity, seemed an The sections of glass were all made by Patrick Reyntiens
answer. And this must be the only symbolism, or and his assistants at Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, and
`meaning', in the whole design. The holes should be as transported from there in big sections straight to the site.
big as would allow a good cushion of deep colour to
surround each. The holes occur in the centre of each
primary colour-red, yellow, blue-with orange, green
and violet graded between them in the natural order of
the spectrum. Yellow faces north, compensating for the
Left, the lantern of the new Liverpool Cathedral
absence of warm yellow sun rays from that direction;
Facing page, inside the lantern, looking towards the
red faces south-west, blue south-east, and so on. The south-east and, below, looking towards the north-west
whole was executed in water-colour, gouache and (illustrations courtesy Shell Chemicals U.K. Ltd)