The Nave of St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland is extremely complex from its main structure down to fine detail. I visited the cathedral in June 2019 and was most drawn to the center of the church, often referred to as the “Nave”. This part of the cathedral is defined by its high ceilings with ribbed vaulting and a textured masonry ceiling. At the end of the aisle, stained glass clerestory windows draw the eye upwards and emphasize the intricate details throughout the space. The tile floor has delicate patterns and is carefully arranged, and the seating is a work of art in itself with it’s elaborate carvings and perfect patina.
This space left me in awe and I felt it would take hours to study the entire space. Every component felt intentionally curated and like a permanent fixture rather than a replaceable, trendy piece. It’s apparent how much labor went into building the cathedral – the walls aren’t smooth plaster, but a carved stone. The benches are carved from wood, not manufactured by a machine in a factory. Thousands of tiles were carefully painted and placed into perfect patterns. I feel impressed by the dedication to crafting such an elaborate space and grateful something so beautiful has survived for so long.
I enjoy the choice of your space and also find all of the details within the space fascinating. Within this space, it seems that the details and the deep thought of proportion, and repetition are creating an overall grand space. As you mentioned the stained glass drawing attention to the height variation of the space is important and drawing a sense of grand verticality which overall is best associated with the space.
There is so much detail that is found in this cathedral. When responding to other people’s submissions, I noticed that there are a lot of churches and cathedrals that were selected. This space stands out to me, as it was one of the only gothic building I saw, and the details make up the complexity in a way where one can spend a long time admiring just the floor. There are also a lot of textures and differing materials found throughout.
The space you choose is breathtaking. As you pointed out, this type of craftsmanship takes attention to detail and intense precision. It is interesting to think about how many people must have worked on this building in order to achieve this look. I think it is very fascinating how the complex details and design does not take away the focus on the altar/podium.
This choice of church caught my eye. This cathedral is filled with rich details, especially the richly colored floor and ceiling structures. Many detailed textures and lines can also be seen on the columns and walls, and the entire space is constructed into an orderly layout with obvious symmetrical aesthetics.
With the example that you chose, I think that this is a beautiful example of balancing ornament and more “quiet” areas of the space that allow your eye to rest.In reference to what we have discussed in lectures, I believe that this relates to the industrial revolution’s impact on middle class homes where the detail and ornament was so dense and busy. In a space where design can be more thought out and planned, like in a church, the balance of a heavily detailed tile floor balances out very nicely with the singular material of the structure and the walls.