St Paul's Cathedral

Located on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Street in Melbourne’s CBD, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the city’s most iconic architectural landmarks and is a significant building in terms of Melbourne’s history. The cathedral was built upon a significant site of the Christian faith, where the first public church service in Melbourne was held in 1835. This location was originally under government ownership and was used as a corn market before being granted to the Anglican Church. The site was then the chosen location for the erection of a Cathedral to replace Charles Webb’s St. Paul’s Church. Renowned English gothic revival architect William Butterfield was commissioned to design the proposed cathedral, renowned for his unique approach to
The original designs did not include the famous gothic spires which are considered to be a significant and defining architectural feature of the current building. Butterfield’s initial designs also proposed two gable roofed towers at the entrance, adopting a less traditional approach to gothic architecture. However, Butterfield’s concept for the building was later enhanced by the addition of the elaborate spires on top of the cathedral. The cathedral's traditional gothic spires were an addition by Sydney architect James Barr in 1926. Placing particular emphasis on verticality, the building became Melbourne's tallest at the time and dominated the city skyline. Barr's spires are noticeably different in style to the remainder of Butterfield's design, which is accentuated by the contrasting materials used. Butterfield's work uses a combination of Waurn's Pond limestone and Barrabool Hills sandstone of a light yellow-brown colour, resulting in a poly-texture surface which contrasts with the spires on top. The spires are a much richer and warmer hue, as they had been constructed of a different stone imported from Sydney at a much later date than the rest of the building. These spires contribute to the cathedral's overall aesthetic, giving the building a more classic gothic architectural essence from the
Paul's takes inspiration from the Italian gothic cathedral and displays elements of high Victorian gothic style in Butterfield's own interpretation. Rich colours and contrasting patterns are apparent, contradicting the exterior of the building. The plan of the cathedral places emphasis on the procession of the service, evident through the progression of decoration and materials, increasing in exaggeration towards the high altar. This can be seen in the tiling, which are laid out in patterns with their own patterns within each tile. However, as one first enters the cathedral, the floor work is encaustic, along with the wainscoting on the lower section of the walls. Progressing towards the altar, these elements begin to use materials such as marble and glass mosaic. This emphasises the spiritual meaning and significance of the altar, the focal point of the