All Saints Research Paper

In the world today, gothic architecture has become an influential design for numerous churches, universities, and various types of buildings. Originating in 12th-century France, Gothic structural materials tended to consist of various types of stone, typically limestone or red sandstone, and would often have an exterior consisting of a rib vault, flying buttresses, and large stain glass windows. In the late 1740’s, the Gothic Revival would emerge in England as an architectural movement, inspired by the Anglo-Catholicism religious style and the ideology that medievalism represented a golden age, during the time of industrialism. One architect inspired by the gothic appearance was William Butterfield who, from 1849-1859, constructed one of the

Paul Thompson, author of the book William Butterfield Victorian Architect, writes that “indeed the decision to use brick at all in a town church, in so far as it is derivative, must have been inspired by these German churches rather than by English or Italian examples. This choice of brick, perhaps the most fundamental decision in the design of All Saints” (Thompson). Thompson not only mentions Butterfields likely inspiration for incorporating the brick, but also notes that the red brick is the church’s most significant material. Until the construction of All Saints, Margret Street church, Gothic Revival churches had typically been built of grey Kentish rag stone. However, Butterfield wished to depart from the image of traditional Gothic practice, and did so, by constructing the exterior of the church with red and black brick. This created a decorative symmetric pattern along the building’s exterior, which is now recognized as the buildings most innovative

Inside of the church, the carefully chosen color schemes and the explosion of décor is almost overwhelming to the eye. Butterfield constructed the floors with richly patterned marble and tile, making sure that every inch of the churches walls consisted of some form of decoration. Regarding the building’s interior, author Paul Thompson notes that, “on the altar steps is a crescendo of brilliant jewel pat- terns, black and white and red and pale green, and on the final step patterned tiles in blue and yellow and white and red tracery. The whole is a superb abstract symphony of extraordinary quality” (Thompson). Here Thompson praises Butterfield’s diverse use of colors, patterns, and materials which make up the interior. After viewing the church’s exterior, the interior confirms that Butterfield clearly intended to break new barriers in the construction of neo-Gothic