St Paul's London Completes £40 Million Restoration & Celebrates 300th Anniversary

Written by Gordon Mathews Wednesday, 22 June 2011 20:39

London - After fifteen years and £40 million ($65 million), a massive restoration of St. Paul's Cathedral in London is finally finished. The timing is perfect because it coincides with the 300th anniversary of the cathedral's original completion. In de­si­gning Saint Paul's Ca­the­dral, English ar­chi­tect Chris­to­pher Wren, also known as a sci­en­tist and ma­the­ma­ti­cian, was hea­vily in­flu­en­ced by the style known as ba­ro­que ar­chi­tec­ture, pre­viously un­k­nown to Eng­land.

After the great Lon­don fire of 1666 de­s­troyed the old Saint Paul's, the city com­mis­sio­ned Wren to de­sign a re­pla­ce­ment. Wren drew from the ba­ro­que style then po­pu­lar in France and Italy. The fa­cade of Wren's Saint Paul's re­sem­bles the east front of the Lou­vre art mu­seum in Paris, France, while the cen­tral dome re­calls the ba­ro­que gran­deur of the dome of St. Peter's in Rome, Italy.

Much of the restoration was actually a cleaning to get years of accumulated soot and grime off the structure. This dirt is acidic and can damage the fine white stone, as has happened at many historical buildings. Architectural details and interior decoration were repaired and restored to their original luster.

Located at the end of the Millennium Bridge on the north bank of the Thames, St. Paul's is one of London's greatest landmarks. A church has stood here since 604 AD, a time when much of England was still pagan, and this spot has remained spiritually important for Londoners ever since. A later version of the church burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666. Christopher Wren, the leading English architect of his day, was commissioned to rebuild it and made it his masterpiece.


"The two million worshippers, pilgrims and visitors who come to St Paul's each year can now witness Wren's original vision and see the cathedral as fresh as the day it was completed."

The smoke and filth of three centuries of London pollution had left the exterior blackened and damaged, but this has now been completely cleaned. More than 150,000 blocks of Portland stone were restored. The interior has been transformed by modern conservation techniques and the light that now floods into the cathedral once again highlights its mosaics, carvings and sculptures

A complete visit takes at least two hours, preferably three. One highlight is the Golden Gallery atop the dome, reached by climbing 530 steps. I think the view from here is the best in London. While the London Eye is taller, St. Paul's is in the middle of the historic heart of London and so the view from here is more interesting.

The crypt holds the remains of many famous people such as William Blake, John Constable, and of course Christopher Wren. In his later years he used to sit in St. Paul's and admire his masterpiece. His grave is marked by a simple plaque that reads in Latin, "Beneath lies buried the founder of this church and city, Christopher Wren, who lived more than 90 years, not for himself but for the public good. Reader, if you seek his monument, look around you,"

Martin Stancliffe, Surveyor to the Fabric, who has overseen the restoration project, said: "It has been a privilege – and an extraordinary experience - to have led the team of professionals, craftsmen and conservators who have contributed so much to this transforming project. This great building is now in a sound state, and probably looks better than at any time since its completion in 1711.”

To celebrate the remodel, St. Paul's is hosting a photo competition. Take a shot of the exterior of the shiny new/old building and you could see your work displayed in one of London's most visited buildings.

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