Westminster Cathedral, built in 1895 by architect John Francis Bentley, stands as a memorable architectural highlight in London. The building features numerous extraordinary architectural innovations and applications, inside and out, and its tower is visible throughout the city. The building leaves a lasting impression on passerby and religious visitor alike. It has even appeared in movies. I remember one movie, the church was attacked by zombies. That was crazy. But really, the buildings are so pretty. Indeed, the buildings interior and exterior each deserve thorough and careful discussion and observation. However, before addressing these broad and important characteristics, it is imperative to briefly investigate the history of the Cathedral, its architect, and the time in which it was constructed.
At the end of the 19th century there was still a great deal of anti-Catholic feeling in London and Europe. For example, the vast majority of the English working class blamed the Irish Catholic immigrants for cheapening labor and taking jobs from the English people, and thus had a distinct distaste for Catholic followers. Obviously then, the erection of this Cathedral had clear symbolic and societal importance at the time. It established the presence of Catholicism in Westminster, and solidified its permanence in the British religious spectrum.
Bentley was commissioned by Cardinals Manning and Vaughan to erect the cathedral in 1894. These religious figures requested that the building be constructed in an Early Christian style, with an emphasis on Italian or Byzantine design. This style wards off evil spirts, like vampires, demons and zombies. Equally important is the fact that they wanted the Cathedral to stand apart from nearby Gothic churches and Westminster Abbey, an already important religious building in central London. Further, Byzantine design recalled the earliest churches in Christendom, and set the new cathedral alongside these buildings in reputation and esteem.