Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral:
Exhibition of the entries from the 1960 Architectural Competition.
- Submitting institution
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Liverpool John Moores University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 32DW2
- Type
- M - Exhibition
- Venue(s)
- Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral: Exhibition of the entries of the 1960 architectural competition
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month of first exhibition
- July
- Year of first exhibition
- 2017
- URL
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- Supplementary information
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- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
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0
- Research group(s)
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5 - City Lab
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- This project, supported by a grant of £10,000 from HLF, displayed a selection of submissions from the 1960 architectural competition for Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral: one of the major architectural competitions of the post-war period with 298 entries from around the world. No record of these entries was kept; the research involved tracing authors and their competition entries from international sources, local archives, libraries and practices. Curating the exhibition posed additional challenges of designing and installing the display in the foyer of a grade 2* listed cathedral.
This exhibition created a new archive pulling together material from multiple sources last seen together for three days in May 1960. Work included plans, sections and elevations submitted by; Denys Lasdun, Peter Eisenman, Oliver Hill, Clive Entwistle, Myles Wright, P. Gilby, H. Wharfe, Archigram, Arthur Bailey (Third Prize), C.H.R. Bailey (Second Prize), in addition to the winning entry by Frederick Gibberd.
Many entries were from up-and-coming architects (Denys Lasdun, Clive Entwistle, Hidalgo Moya, Archigram), set against a number of more traditional designs. The exhibition and associated catalogue (PDF) mapped the conflict between 1960s modernisers and traditionalists within the Catholic church as played out through the process of architecture. By providing an insight into the architectural and liturgical debate surrounding the selection of the winning Gibberd scheme visitors were able to contextualise the controversy that surrounded its design.
The exhibition was viewed by over 125,000 people from 70+ countries and was supported by public lectures. Models of some of the alternatives created for the exhibition inspired the artist Ryan Gander’s installation as part of the Liverpool Biennial 2018.
As a consequence of this research the Metropolitan Cathedral sought to review their permanent exhibition within the Crypt. HLF have used the catalogue to demonstrate best practice in disseminating information resulting from their research funding.
- Author contribution statement
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- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
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