The resurrection St Patrick's Cathedral

摘要

Concrete, including polished precast, has been an important part of the resurrection of St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral at Parramatta, NSW. The building was destroyed by fire (torched by an arsonist) in February 1996, being formally re-opened late last year. An imposing ceremony marked the culmination of a complex 15-month construction assignment. Resurrection is an appropriate word for the building was virtually a total ruin after the fire. The works involved the demolition of existing redundant or damaged buildings, the refurbishment of the heritage-listed cathedral, the construction of a new 800-seat cathedral, a new cloister and parish hall. A selection of remains of earlier church buildings has been retained under the new construction, including a section of the apse of the original 1936 church. The new cathedral that is adjacent to the original cathedral encloses a major space of 40 metres by 26 metres with a ceiling 13-metres high.