Assignment: My favorite…The Cathedral of St. John the Divine

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Barbara Smith Mishara

As you walk through New York City, what type of architecture catches your eye. Is it just one building or do you find you are drawn to a particular type? What element(s) of the building interests you? Is it the form, height, color, ornamentation. Perhaps it is a combination of factors. Sometimes a building is special because of our associations. Be specific in your description. If possible, include a photo.

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I would to do some introduction about this beautiful art named Gothic Revival Architectural movement before I talk about my experience when I saw for the first time The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in the upper side Manhattan. I think it is very important to describe Gothic style from its first steps as a way of religion expression during the fall of the Roman Empire and the new era of Christianity. This is what I found online: Gothic architecture is a style of architecture used in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. It began in France in the 12th century. The Gothic style grew out of Romanesque architecture. It was popular until the 16th century. By that time the Renaissance style of architecture became popular. The important features of Gothic architecture are the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress, which are explained below.Gothic architecture is best known as the style of many of the great cathedrals, abbeys and churches of Europe. It is also the architecture of many castles, palaces, town halls, universities, and also some houses.Many church buildings still remain from this period. Even the smallest Gothic churches are often very beautiful, while many of the larger churches and cathedrals are thought to be priceless works of art. Many are listed with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites. Gothic architecture was at first called “the French Style” (Opus Francigenum). The word Gothic was used later during the Renaissance as an insult. In fact, the architecture had nothing to do with the real Goths, a tribe of people who attacked Rome in the early Middle Ages.An Italian writer named Giorgio Vasari used the word “Gothic” in the 1530s, because he thought buildings from the Middle Ages were not carefully planned and measured like Renaissance buildings or the buildings of ancient Rome. After Vasari, many other people used the word “Gothic” to describe architecture with pointed arches.

My experience meeting a beautiful church in New York City.

As a truck trailer driver who had been delivering many heavy construction equipment such as cranes parts, huge steel beams and heavy machineries all over NYC, I never had a shock impression when I arrived to work site like I did on 1047Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025 to be more exactly. It is a cathedral named The Cathedral of St. John the Divine and it has been there since 1892 and still unfinished, but it still has gripping and captivating structure when you see it for first time. I remember that I stepped out of my truck and saw the cathedral from the sidewalk looking up its towers almost despairing on the skies like its pointed towers having a dive connection with God. I felt so close to God the day… that I thought about all my sins for a monent. The cathedral, designed in 1888 and begun in 1892, has, in its history, undergone radical stylistic changes and the interruption of the two World Wars. Originally designed as Byzantine-Romanesque, the plan was changed after 1909 to a Gothic design. the Cathedral captivated my attention in many different ways: visual, artistic and spiritual. The perfection of its walls that were built around eight massive granite columns and  the stone carving work putting all over its façade. And also the cathedral has strong, magical and spiritual doors that give you the impression that you are in front the heaven’s door. The main entrances has 2 carved bronze doors in which door has 28 panels presenting scenes from the Old and New Testaments and the Apocalypse. Over these doors, I could see these massive pointed arches covering each door with their each door with their massive and repetitive layers of arches like dark cave covering you from the rain.

In addition, I could see its clustery cathedral windows all over its crossing form perimeter. In fact, the cathedral has a circular clustery window in its center like a big eye in your forehead. Its circular window appears with a cross in its radio with flames surrounded the cross. All these forms in the window are made with highly curved limestone…like a master piece. And also it has a wide stairs but it looks like Greek podium starirs.
 In conclusion, the most beautiful architectural style is Gothic because of its  magnificent sculpture, pointed arches and curved stones that feeds  your imagination with many architectural ideas like gasoline feeds with energy that engine of your car. No doubt gothic style was one of the most popular ways to represent the divine and the powerful of the religion expression .