We have been helping designers and specifiers find the best solutions for their projects since 1988. BUILDING DESIGN is an ESI.info brand.
Pilgrim Porch welcomes visitors to Chester Cathedral
Stephen Broadbent was commissioned by Chester Cathedral to undertake this symbolic installation to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The Pilgrim Porch and medieval doors communicate welcome and hospitality to those approaching the west end of the Cathedral from Town Hall Square, offering a window into the wonders of the Cathedral
Click for full image
The installation communicates welcome and hospitality to those approaching the west end of the Cathedral
Stephen Broadbent was commissioned by Chester Cathedral to undertake this symbolic installation to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
The Pilgrim Porch and medieval doors communicate welcome and hospitality to those approaching the west end of the Cathedral from Town Hall Square, offering a window into the wonders of the Cathedral.
Project detail
With an open door, natural light now illuminates the darkness of the re-ordered west end, while offering visitors and congregation a dramatic view out to the city square. On special days and ceremonies the glass doors are opened, adding drama to the processional life and connectivity of the church to the city.
The primary material of the Pilgrim Porch is a blue-green patinated bronze, which creates a visual link to the aligned ‘Celebration of Chester’ public sculpture, installed in the Town Hall square for the 900th anniversary of the Cathedral, and the nave altar also cast in a similarly coloured bronze. A labyrinth design within the structural glass reinforces the notion of a pilgrim journey, and the cathedral being at the heart of the diocese.
