No offence intended to the Anglican community in Belfast.. they may think they’re sticking a “Spire of Hope” through the roof of St Anne’s Cathedral today.. and they’ve been blogging-ish about it here.. but it looks hideous. According to the background information, “from the outset of planning the Cathedral in 1896 there had been many designs for a spire, tower or campanile to complete the building.” But what they’ve got is hardly sympathetic to the original design. *shakes head* Btw £852,000 estimated price tag.. with £100,000 contributed from the Laganside Development funds.. Adds BBC report here and video-ish report with ‘onlooker’ reaction [RealPlayer file]There a telling paragraph in that background information from the chief designer and manager of the architects responsible..
Commenting on the design when it was selected, Colin Conn, chief designer and manager of Box Architects said, “With so much building in that area there is competition to be noticed, but this spire design will certainly signpost the Cathedral and place it head and shoulders above the rest. We are delighted to be involved with such an iconic piece of 21st century architecture on the skyline of Belfast and honoured to be able to add the finishing touch to this magnificent building”.
It’s a signpost alright..
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