C. R. Cockerell's Hanover Chapel

Abstract

C. R. Cockerell's "Hanover Chapel" (1823-1825; dem. 1896), the architect's first major work, was an edifice of manifold importance. Although its cost was deliberately restrained by its patrons, the Church Building Commissioners, Cockerell managed to create a major monument in London's long history of church building, an ornament to Regent Street, and an intellectual essay in international neoclassicism. This article, by referring to drawings, manuscript documents, and printed reviews, analyzes in detail Cockerell's development of the twin-towered, skylightdomed design through sources in Palladio, Wren, Hawksmoor, 18th- and 19th-century Continental buildings, and paintings by Claude Lorrain. In addition, Cockerell's unusually careful orchestration of symbolic details is analyzed. Finally, the generally good critical reception, moderate influence, and lingering high reputation of the building throughout the 19th century, bring the discussion to a close.