ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL, DUNEDIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 387, 10 September 1880, Page 15

ST. JOSEPH'S CATHEDRAL, DUNEDIN.

(The following description has been written for the N,Z. Tablet by F. W. Petre, Esq., the architect of this cathedral).

Septemqer 9, 1880. The building of a beautiful church was regarded by our ancestors as a prayer to God, and with this idea in view they lent all their resources both of mind and body to the raising of those glorious structures which speak to us at the present day of the devotion whic^i existed amongst those who have gone before us. With such a sentiment to guide them little wonder is it that they produced effects that have caused the despair of modern architects. "To the greater honour and glory of God," is still the spirit which the Church teaches should animate all men, even in our ordinary works of life ; much more so, then, when it is a question of devoting our energies to the construction of a building to be dedicated solely to the worship of God. Not only the architect, but all engaged in such a work, from the largest to the smallest contributor, can have no better incentive to call foith the best of their various resources.

As it is my intention to offer to your readers as complete a description of the Cathedral building as 1 am able to give, I mast not take up too much space, but compress to the utmost what must necessarily be a great deal of matter.

The ground which the church will occupy, when finished, will comprise a frontage on Smith street of 126 feet, and on Rattray street of 244 feet ; the highest pcint of the whole structure will be 225 feet above the level of the junction of the two streets.

The style chosen for the building is th*3 Gothic, which prevailed in France from the middle of the 13th to that of the 14th Centuries ; for the most perfect specimens of which the cathedrals of Amiens and Rheiins may be looked to. The distinctive features of this period are, the greater richness and delicacy of detail and the closer application of geon^etric rules to construction, more particularly in the window tracery which exhibits greater variety of design, together with an easier and more perfect flow in the various members. The church when finished will consist of the following parts. The large porch, 35 xl 4 feet ; two smaller ones, each 11 xll feet ; the nave, 80 x 25 feet, with two aisles, each 80 x 12 feet 6 inches ; the baptistry, 11x11 feet ; two transepts, each 35 x 24 feet, with one aisle to each 35 xl 2 feet 6 inches ; ths choir, 34 x 25 feet ; the sanctuary, 40 x 25 feet ; the priests' sacristy, 33 x 12 feet 6 inches ; the acolyes' sacristy, 38 xl 2 feet 6 inches ; the bishop's sacristy, 14 xlB feet ; the convent chapel, 21 x 12 feet 6 inches, and two smaller chapels, each 13 feet square.

These various dimensions of the building will have entrances through three large double doorways, with doors hung to open either outwardly or inwardly ; four large and two small single doorways.

There will be in addition to the above space on the floor, two galleries, each 26 x 15 in the transepts ; an organ loft and gallery, 30 x 26 feet, adjoining which will be the choir library and strong room for the archives of the church, each room 12 feet square.

Provision will be made in the large tower for a chime of nine bells ; iv the two smaller towers for a matins and ordinary bell.

The plan of the whole building will form a cross, the large porch and smallet towers forming the foot, the naves and aisles the body, the sanctuary the head, and the transepts the two arms, with the large tower springing from the centre.

Owing to the peculiar formation of the site, that is to say a filled-up gully, the foundations will necessarily be a work of some exteut. The system adopted has been that of sinking a number of shafts through the filled in earth until the rock bed is struck ; these shafts are then filled in with concrete, and the whole connected at withiu a few feet of the surface by means of strong arches of concrete.

The entire building will be carried upon eighty-three concrete piers as described, ranging from 4 feet to 8 feet square. The greater part of this work is already finished, the foundations of the nave and aisles, two font towers, and half of the large tower being in place

(To be continued.)