Fury in France as 930-year-old cathedral turned into 'concrete UFO' in 'architectural massacre'
A 930-year-old cathedral in France has sparked fury after its facade was replaced by a massive concrete structure.
A 450-tonne concrete gallery has been added to the Saint-Maurice Cathedral in Angers - which has been compared to a UFO.
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"What a monstrous carbuncle" said Big Ears.
ReplyDeleteUntil I zoomed in, that picture looked like the whole thing was just a front. Like a movie set or something
ReplyDeleteNot far from me, at Melle (also France), a new altar was installed a few years ago in the 12th Century Church (Grade 1 protection).
ReplyDeleteIt sticks out like a sore thumb. It's bright white and smooth, whereas the rest of the church is cream limestone with an aged finish.
Anon - ha ha, yes he might well have said that before he had to become more diplomatic.
ReplyDeleteBucko - yes it looks like part of a movie set, a hollow framework covered in some kind of material.
DAD - I just had a quick look at some images - it doesn't work at all does it? Doesn't maintain the venerable dignity of the church.
I quite like brutalist architecture - although it is quite jarring next to historic architecture. And I note that much of the brutalist architecture of the last century has already been demolished... such as the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth.
ReplyDeleteDJ - I find most brutalist architecture impossible to like even if it is quite imaginative. It looks inhuman to my eye, alien and even a little totalitarian. Its demolition can be mildly uplifting though, as if a mistake is being corrected.
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