Liverpool's round Roman Catholic cathedral of the 1960s, lit from above by a tower of coloured glass and nicknamed Paddy's Wigwam
Liverpool’s Catholic cathedral took three attempts. Edwin Lutyens designed a vast domed church in the 1930s, but only its brick-vaulted crypt was built before rising costs ended the scheme. Frederick Gibberd then won a competition with a circular building set on top of the crypt, built between 1962 and 1967, with the altar in the middle so everyone in the congregation can see it. Above the altar, the lantern tower is filled with stained glass by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, which throws coloured light across the inside. Locals call the building Paddy’s Wigwam or the Mersey Funnel. It stands at the top of a broad flight of steps from Hope Street, which runs about 800 m south to the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral. Liverpool Lime Street station is about 700 m away.
