Specialist stonework and restoration contractor Cathedral Work’s Organisation (CWO) Ltd and St. Ann's Gate Architects of Salisbury have successfully completed works to Westminster Cathedral’s west front entrance steps. The project, titled ‘Access for All’, involved the remodelling and extension of the main entrance area to provide new disabled access ramps and steps.
Westminster Cathedral, located in Victoria, West London, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and is the largest Roman Catholic church in both England and Wales. Designed by Victorian architect John Francis Bentley and built in 1903, the Cathedral is London’s only example of neo-Byzantine architecture. Based on Mediterranean examples of the early Christian church and using contrasting bands of terracotta, brick and Portland stone, the style is quite different to that of Britain's native Gothic cathedrals.
The new arrangement of steps and ramps into the western entrance was designed to provide access for all into the Cathedral. The steps were designed to fit comfortably with the existing historic building, incorporating the use of Cornish granite to match the 100 year-old stone plinth of the Cathedral. The shape of the steps forms a welcoming arc into the Cathedral piazza with access ramps forming a gentle slope against the Cathedrals walls. The design and execution of the project was carried out by St. Ann's Gate Architects of Salisbury, who have been involved with the Cathedral since 1997.
The works comprised the specialist cleaning of the original granite plinth, alterations to the existing ground level windows, and the removal of the existing paving plus the repairs to cracked brickwork of the lower brick facing facades. CWO formed and cast the new reinforced concrete sub structure to the approved details and design, and supplied and installed Cornish De Lank silver grey granite paving and steps. The design of the steps included a rebated bronze inset strip to the leading edge of the granite, with two new bronze and seasoned oak handrails, plus new bronze up lighters set flush into the ends of each monolithic step. Westminster City Council re-engineered the piazza paving to meet the contours and curves of the new granite steps.
Neil Fairbairn, Clerk of Works, Westminster Cathedral, commented: “I am happy to say this was a trouble-free project. CWO carried out works efficiently with no health and safety issues and no public liaison problems. The end result is something that looks as though it has always been there.”
