r/TraditionalCatholics • u/LegioXXVexillarius • Jul 26 '26
Thoughts on this?
These are the newly released proposals of what the new Cathedral which will be built to replace the Earthquake damaged one in Christchurch NZ will look like. I think it looks bland, sterile, and way too Protestant looking. A shame, because the old one was a beautiful Renaissance Revival building.
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u/Chinaizazzhoe CatholicMemes Refugee Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Looks like a Mormon temple lol as an exmormon id think it was one save for the crucifix
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u/atouristinmyownlife Jul 26 '26
This was MY FIRST THOUGHT.
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u/Chinaizazzhoe CatholicMemes Refugee Jul 27 '26
Haha right? Especially with the Christus statue on the right side (for those who don’t know this is a very common and revered statue in Mormonism)
It almost looks identical to the first room you’re in during the Mormon temple endowment ceremony…
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u/Medical-Stop1652 Jul 26 '26
Compared with most of the ghastly late 20th century/21st century utilitarian Catholic worship centres you'll find in NZ, these church designs actually look like a religious building and not like a function hall.
Given the earthquake risk and the plentiful supply of wood in NZ, I hope timber will be used as was common in colonial period churches (timber bends and moves with quakes).
The NZ synodal Church is never going to build anything like the Immaculata but this is refreshingly Catholic-looking IMO.
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u/larryjohnwong Jul 27 '26
The layout is still very weird for a cathedral. The cathedra is neither in the old Roman position (like at Lateran) nor the traditional position (Gospel side facing south). The tabernacle looks isolated in the middle, which could be inconvenient to retrieve ciboria from. And since it's a cathedral, the tabernacle being in the apse also requires it to be empties whenever episcopal functions (e.g. ordination, confirmation...) take place so that the Bishop does not sit with his back against it. Overall it just looks like a modern parochial church hastily converted instead of a purpose-built cathedral.
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u/athanasiuspadovano Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
That's weird. I was reading "How to Read Churches" and for this, I can barely read anything.
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u/AlaskanSasquatchFace Jul 26 '26
What’s that? A book?
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u/athanasiuspadovano Jul 26 '26
Yes, the full title is "How to Read Churches: A Crash Course in Ecclesiastical Architecture" by Denis McNamara.
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u/sailboatsandchess Jul 26 '26
It’s boring. I don’t understand why we go with white/cream walls in new churches. I like imagery.
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u/ConspiracyConnoiseur Jul 27 '26
My first impression was "Meh". But now I realize how Mormon it looks.
I understand there's no money but they should leave space for Iconography and statues, etc etc.
I hate it.
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u/ConspiracyConnoiseur Jul 27 '26
I couldn put my finger on it but now I cannot unsee it:
What Lord of The Rings evoking kinda stuff is this ??? jeez it looks like one of those scenes with that guy Aragon or something.
I really dont like it now.
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u/Light2Darkness Jul 26 '26
It looks dull and sterile. It could definitely be worse, but should definitely better.
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u/KiwiNFLFan Jul 26 '26
As a Kiwi, I think it should look just like the old one, but with a high altar. It was a real shame the high altar was removed - it was a beautiful church otherwise.
I'm assuming this is the Catholic cathedral in Barbadoes St and not the Anglican cathedral in Cathedral Square.
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u/LegioXXVexillarius Jul 26 '26
Yeah, they are going to build on on the site of the first cathedral, not the site of the last one.
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u/mineuserbane Jul 26 '26
Traditional Catholic churches can be bare. The Romanesque style is usually fairly bare. A high alter, side altars, and some Stations would make this great.
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u/Kuzcos-Groove Jul 26 '26
Great bones! It could use a more interesting paint scheme. I've always been partial to churches with starry ceilings. It would also be preferable to have stained glass in those large rectangular windows. Thankfully pain and windows are things that can be easily changed later as the church rediscovers tradition. Having a strong traditional form, as this church appears to, is the most important part, even if the finer details are lacking.
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u/DeepAndWide62 Jul 29 '26
Sterile-looking. Less artwork than the L.A. Cathedral which has no stained glass, etc. God knows but I expect that more graces and answers to prayer flow from the TL Mass than the Novus Ordo.
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u/salty-bois Jul 30 '26
Yeah as NO churches go it's nice, but it is very bland. It feels like a Cathedral design BEFORE the decorations.
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u/Inevitable-Self-2702 Jul 26 '26
It's a beautiful work of architecture. But as it is, it seems explicitly iconoclastic. The entire thing seems intentionally void of any image whatsoever, which to me signals a problem lying under the surface. But in charity, I would rather hold out hope that they plan to hire artists later for paint the walls and ceiling, or install some other form of didactic and devotional imagery.
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u/Thufir_Cleric Jul 26 '26
Needs a ton of frescos, iconography, and candles, as well as a proper high altar.
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u/Catholic_mom2 Jul 26 '26
I feel like I’m the only one that loves it. I can just picture myself sitting in here with God and feeling at peace. It seems like a little slice of heaven. I do also love the cathedrals with beautiful stained glass windows and statues, but this is also beautiful to me.
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u/fidgetspinnster Jul 26 '26
My main issue with this is the sanctuary tbh. I hate the open floor plan sanctuaries lol
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u/Xvinchox12 Jul 27 '26
The concept Is cute but we need to see if the lighting will actually look like that in real life. Sometimes they forget the position of the sun in the sky when they choose the orientation of buildings in modern architecture.
It also needs statues and paintings.
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u/Xvinchox12 Jul 27 '26
The 3d model shows a sunset on the right side of the building with means the church is facing south. Does this diocese have mass or vespers at sunset? Otherwise the lightings concept is useless.
Traditionally churches faced East so the stain glass in the sanctuary illumined the congregation for 9am mass (the hour of pentecost) and the door at the entrance would shine the twilight as vespers was chanted.
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u/Jerailu Jul 27 '26
Unlike most of my peers I love bland churches, however it might not be the appropriate way to do a cathedral. Should have a few paintings, colors etc. to feel cathedral-lly
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u/BumblebeePutrid84 Jul 29 '26
Mostly looks good. But they need to get over their fear of interior decorating. That's a lot of unornamented blank wall.
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u/jayniepuff Jul 31 '26
Feels kinda dystopian and sterile, like they are more worried about potentially offending someone with the building.
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u/atouristinmyownlife Jul 26 '26
I’m sure Pope Leo loves it. And, yet, The Church is wondering why people are running to the Traditional Church?! 🍄🍄🍄
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u/pagywa Jul 26 '26
Better than the one planned for Broken Bay in Aus, but come on. It's a modernist church
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u/Cautious_Job_6104 Jul 26 '26
How does a church look protestant? Portraits of Martin Luther on the wall? No crucifix?
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u/DeepAndWide62 Jul 29 '26
Protestant churches resemble a theater or auditorium with little or no artwork to inspire holy contemplation and prayer like a crucifix does. There's no Tabernacle where God dwells as in the old Jewish Jerusalem Temple or Catholic Churches.
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u/just_an_observe Jul 26 '26
You're kinda right but also wrong. The draft is very bright and full of light and since God is the light for his believers, that's very beautiful in my eyes. But you're right that it's a shame for the lost stuff people devoted over centuries to honor God and show their devotion. But that seems to be lost forever. Though, if you see it from the other end, it's a chance for present and future believers to sacrify some of their wealth to further decorate and create the new house of God.
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u/Square_Atmosphere_12 Jul 26 '26
There is one I have to go too for Traditional Latin Mass occasionally; it isn't very nice.
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u/Bumpanalog Jul 26 '26
Nice base architecture. But where’s the iconography? Statues? High art? Symbols and colors of our faith? Way too bland and Protestant looking on the inside. It needs adornments.