A Westminster Cathedral Episode

Abstract

The story of the Ringstrasse in Vienna is familiar. It took the place of the outdated fortifications round the medieval city. The Emperor decided in 1857, a competition was held in 1858, and the plan was approved in 1859. The ring was going to be a wide green belt with large public buildings dotted around: the Parliament Grecian, the Town Hall Gothic, the Opera, the University, the Museum and School for the Decorative Arts, the Exchange and the Burgtheater all in one form or other neo-Renaissance, and so on. But one major building was already started when the Ringstrasse was laid out. The Votivkirche was vowed after an attempt had been made in 1853 to assassinate the Emperor. A competition was held and won by Heinrich Ferstel, and the foundation stone was laid in 1856. In the designs, and later in the execution, the church looked like a High Gothic French cathedral [Pl. 36). It is about 90m long and has a facade with two towers crowned by spires and a choir end with an ambulatory and radiating chapels - seven of them as at Beauvais and Cologne. The church was consecrated in 1879.