BBC - Culture - Fantastical buildings that were never built Design Fantastical buildings that were never built From the planned centrepiece of Hitler’s New Berlin to a 4-km-high (2.5 mile) steel structure that was to rise above Tokyo – Jonathan Glancey looks at architects’ impossible dreams. By Jonathan Glancey 6 November 2014 When Berlin fell in May 1945 British and American interrogators were particularly keen to speak to Albert Speer, the dynamic architect who had prolonged the war against Germany through his extraordinary effectiveness as Hitler’s Minister of Armaments and War Production. He had also led the design of Germania, a monumental, although unbuilt New Berlin, composed of imperious avenues and parade-ground squares lined with improbably large civil and commercial buildings. In his final days in the Führerbunker below the gardens of the Reich Chancellery, a grandiloquent neo-classical design by Speer completed in record time in late 1930s, Hitler had pored over models of Germania.

The biggest of all its buildings was to be the Volkshalle – the People’s Hall – a colossal domed structure based on the Emperor Hadrian’s Pantheon in Rome. Hitler had made sketches for such a building himself as early as 1925, although his visit to Rome in May 1938 to see the Pantheon confirmed his desire to go one better than the Romans. If their empire had survived four centuries, his would last a thousand years and so needed buildings designed for an extremely long-term future. Luckily for everyone, the Third Reich missed its target by 988 years. View image of (German Federal Archives /CC BY SA 3.0-de) (Credit: German Federal Archives /CC BY SA 3.0-de) Speer discussed the Volkshalle with British and US structural engineers in 1945, one of whom told me that the interior of the auditorium would have been so vast that when filled to capacity with 180,000 sieg-heiling Nazis, clouds would have formed beneath its coffered dome; it might even have rained on the party faithful, although presumably nothing would have dampened their enthusiasm for the rantings of their victorious leader.

To give a sense of the preposterous scale of this, one of the biggest of history’s unbuilt buildings, the dome of St Peter’s, Rome, the world’s biggest church, could have been lowered through the 46-metre diameter oculus – or circular hole at the top of the dome to let in daylight – of the 290-metre high Volkshalle. Could it have been built? In all probability yes, as despite suggestions that the Volkshalle would have collapsed under its own weight, an extensive use of steel in the construction of the dome, and copper sheathing, would have enabled Speer to achieve his imperious goal. Sky’s the limit If Speer’s was among the most grandiose of unrealised architectural projects, X-Seed 4000 must surely be the tallest yet proposed by any architect. What amounted to a habitable, man-made Mount Fuji was dreamed up in 1995 by Peter Neville, an architect working for Japan’s construction giant, the Taisei Corporation. Founded in 1873, Taisei has designed, engineered and built numerous challenging bridges, tunnels and stadiums, but nothing quite like this.

A demonstration of the company’s ambition and skill, this steel skyscraper formed in the guise of a hollow mountain, was to have been 4 km (2.5 miles) high, slightly taller in fact than Mount Fuji itself. The 500,000 to one million people who might have lived and worked here would have shot up and down the tower’s 800 floors in maglev trains. Taisei and Neville insisted that X-Seed 4000 would have been, if not a doddle, not so very difficult to build. Issues of security and Japan’s endemic problem with earthquakes and typhoons aside, the cost would have been prohibitive. In 2014 prices, this sensational, science-fiction style skyscraper would have cost at least $1.05 trillion. Even Albert Speer might have raised an eyebrow. At a press conference held in Chicago in October 1956, the 87-year-old architect and American legend Frank Lloyd Wright unveiled The Illinois, a mile-high skyscraper. The theatrical drawings Wright made for the occasion were on a suitably grandiose scale.

Climbing up in stepped and angled stages, the 528-storey skyscraper would have been four times the height of the Empire State Building, then the world’s tallest building, and twice that of today’s record holder, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Because its unbuilt design dated from the mid-Fifties when the car was king in the United States, The Illinois would have provided parking for 15,000 automobiles. There would also be landing decks for 150 helicopters, while atomic powered elevators would have rocketed the high and mighty up to their steel and concrete eyries. Dictators’ dreams Inevitably, perhaps, the majority of history’s most ambitious architectural projects have been nurtured by equally ambitious and competitive regimes. In a bid to outdo anything the capitalist Americans could do, in 1931 Stalin’s Communist regime held an international competition for a Palace of the Soviets. Not surprisingly, the winner, announced in 1933, was a Russian architect, Boris Iofan.

His design, modified in tandem with Vladimir Shchuko and Vladimir Gelfreikh, was for a neo-classical skyscraper resembling an enormous tiered wedding cake crowned with an 80-metre-high (262 ft) statue of Lenin. View image of This video is no longer available There was to have been a library in Lenin’s capacious head. The entire caboodle would have risen 415 m (1,360 ft) over the Kremlin. A site was cleared for construction, meaning the gleeful demolition by the Communists of Tsar Nicholas I’s bulbous 19th Century Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Money ran out, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa and construction came to a standstill. After the Great Patriotic War as the Russians called their battle on World War II’s eastern front, the 11-hectare site was turned into the world’s biggest open-air swimming pool until it was replaced between 1995 and 2000 by a full-scale replica of the Tsarist cathedral.

View image of This video is no longer available The 18th Century French architect Étienne-Louis Boullée designed a Herculean unbuilt cathedral for Paris, yet his most compelling project was for a cenotaph, or monument, to the great physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton, that people would surely flock to visit today. Free of political, commercial or obvious religious concerns, Boullée’s haunting design was for a voluminous stone sphere on a great articulated base lined with cypress trees. Entered from below, the sphere was to have been perforated with holes that, in daytime, would have pierced the daunting gloom with shafts of sunlight; this light, so Boullée believed, would appear to suitably awed visitors as a glowing map of the heavens. By night, the interior would be lit by a gigantic armillary sphere – a blazing scientific instrument. There are many other designs for imposing and imaginative buildings we might like to have seen realised, from Sir Edwin Lutyens’s magnificent 1930s project for a domed Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool to, perhaps, Lord Foster’s currently thwarted plan for a new London airport in the Thames Estuary.

To be built, however, such grand projects must coincide with particular ellisions of political and financial will. They must avoid wars, the untimely deaths of their protagonists and runs on banks too. Given how long such buildings might have taken to build, it would have been hard for any of them to have overcome so many hurdles. For better or worse, most must remain the stuff of tectonic dreams. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter . Cathedrals in the UK | Interactive Map Photo Gallery Cathedrals in Britain From the world-famous St Paul's in London to the charming 12th century St David's Cathedral in Wales, simply scroll down to see our interactive map of the Christian cathedrals in Britain. Although we have attempted to be as thorough as possible, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a cathedral that we have not included on the map. What is a Cathedral? A cathedral is not just a large church.

The word 'cathedral' comes from the Latin word cathedra meaning 'seat' or 'chair', and refers to the presence of the bishop's or archbishop's chair or throne. It is the most important church in the diocese. What is a Minster - is it the same as a Cathedral? Sometimes but not always. Minsters were established during Anglo-Saxon times and were the churches attached to a monastery or monasterium. Nowadays the term 'minster' has come to refer more generally to any large or important, often parish, church. Famous minsters include York Minster, Southwell Minster and Westminster in London. Cathedrals in England Aldershot Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of St Michael and St George serves as the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Bishopric of the Forces, which provides chaplains to the British Armed Forces. The church was designed in 1892 by two military engineers, originally intended as the principal church for the Anglican chaplaincies of the British Army, it eventually became the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Forces instead.

Arundel Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of Our Lady and St Philip Howard, was dedicated in 1873 as the Catholic parish church of Arundel, and designated a cathedral in 1965. The cathedral's location, construction, and design owe much to the Howard family, who, as Dukes of Norfolk and Earls of Arundel, are the most prominent Catholic family in England. The architectural style of the cathedral is French Gothic, a suitable counterpart to their nearby home …Arundel Castle. Birmingham Cathedral Church of England Designed by the English Baroque architect, Thomas Archer, St Philip's was originally built as a parish church in 1715. It became the cathedral of the newly formed Diocese of Birmingham in 1905. Birmingham Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Metropolitan Cathedral Church and Basilica of Saint Chad was the first Catholic cathedral to be built in England after the English Reformation initiated in 1534 by King Henry VIII. Designed by Augustus Pugin, it was completed in 1841 and raised to cathedral status in 1852.

Blackburn Cathedral Church of England One of England's newest cathedrals, with the creation of the Diocese of Blackburn in 1926, the parish church of St Mary the Virgin was elevated to cathedral status. The church, which was built in 1826, now forms the cathedral's nave. Bradford Cathedral Church of England A site of Christian worship since Anglo-Saxon times, a later Norman church stood for 300 years before being destroyed by raiding Scots. During the fourteenth century the church was rebuilt, the oldest parts of the present building were completed in 1458. Brentwood Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Helen dates from 1861. Originally a parish church built in a gothic style, this relatively small building was elevated to Cathedral status in 1917. Enlarged between 1989-1991, the new cathedral was dedicated on 31 May 1991.

Bristol Cathedral Church of England Founded as St Augustine's Abbey in 1140, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity became the seat of the bishop and cathedral of the new Diocese of Bristol in 1542. St Edmundsbury Cathedral Church of England A church has stood on the site of the current cathedral for over a 1,000 years. Largely rebuilt in the 16th century St James Church became St Edmundsbury Cathedral in 1914. Canterbury Cathedral Church of England One of the oldest and most famous Christian buidlings in England, the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury, is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the Church of England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Founded in 597, it was completely rebuilt 1070-77. Carlisle Cathedral Church of England The second smallest (after Oxford), of England's ancient cathedrals, the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity was founded as an Augustinian monastery in 1122, and was elevated to cathedral status in 1133.

Chelmsford Cathedral Church of England Originally dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, the first church on the site of the present Cathedral was founded, along with the town of Chelmsford itself, some 800 years ago. It became a Cathedral in 1914. Chester Cathedral Church of England Formerly the abbey church of St Werburgh's, a Benedictine monastery, the cathedral is part of a heritage site that also includes the former monastic buildings. The cathedral has been modified many times from its foundation in 1093, through to the early 16th century. Chichester Cathedral Church of England Founded as a cathedral in 1075, when the seat of the bishop was moved from nearby Selsey. It was completed under Bishop Ralph de Luffa in time for its dedication to the Holy Trinity in 1108. Clifton Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Commissioned in 1965, the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of SS.

Peter and Paul was constructed over a three year period and was consecrated on 29th June 1973 Coventry Cathedral Church of England The new St Michael's Cathedral stands alongside the ruined shell of its predecessor, destroyed in a bombing raid during the Second World War. Together in hallowed ground, the two create one living Cathedral. Derby Cathedral Church of England The building previously known as All Saints' Church, became a cathedral in 1927. The current structure dates mainly from the 18th century with a 16th century tower, although the original church was founded in 943 by King Edmund I. Durham Cathedral Church of England Founded in 1093, the cathedral is regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture and replaced the 10th century "White Church", which was built as part of a monastic foundation to house the shrine of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. Ely Cathedral Church of England Known locally as "the ship of the Fens", the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely dates from 1083. It stands on the site of a much earlier Anglo-Saxon church, founded by St.

Etheldreda around 673. Exeter Cathedral Church of England The founding of a cathedral at Exeter dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was moved from Crediton, due to the fear of pagan raids from the sea. The present Cathedral Church of Saint Peter at Exeter, was completed around 1400, although Its official foundations date from 1133. Gloucester Cathedral Church of England The origins of the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity date from Osric, an Anglo-Saxon prince in 678. The foundations of the present church were laid by Abbot Serlo in 1089. Guildford Cathedral Church of England Stands in a commanding position, the solid red brick outline of the Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, Guildford, can be seen from from miles around. Construction of the cathedral began in 1936, however the Second World War delayed its consecration until 1961. Hereford Cathedral Church of England Although a place of Christian worship since the 8th century, the earliest surviving building is the 11th century bishop's chapel.

The current medieval Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert the King, dates mainly from the 14th to 16th centuries. Lancaster Cathedral Roman Catholic Church A former a Roman Catholic parish church dating from 1859, it was elevated to the status of the Cathedral Church of St Peter, in 1924. Leeds Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Built in 1878, the original cathedral was located in St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, but that building was demolished by Leeds Corporation in 1899. A new site was found and the current cathedral building was completed in 1904. Leicester Cathedral Church of England A church dedicated to St Martin has been on the current site since 1086, when the older Saxon church was replaced by a Norman one. The church was elevated to Cathedral status in 1927. Lichfield Cathedral Church of England The religious centre of the Kingdom of Mercia since 669, the early wooden Saxon church of St Chad was replaced by a Norman cathedral in 1085, then by the current Gothic cathedral begun in 1195.

Lincoln Cathedral Church of England Construction of the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, began in 1088 and continued throughout the medieval period. Suffering fire and earthquakes in its early years, it was said to be the tallest building in world for 238 years, until its central spire collapsed in 1549. Liverpool Cathedral Church of England Although the foundation stone was laid by King Edward VII in 1904, the building of the cathedral was delayed first through design and redesign issues, and then still further by two world wars. A service of dedication was finally held in October 1978. Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Initially, Sir Edwin Lutyens was commissioned to provide a design, which if built, would have become the second-largest church in the world. Building work began in June 1933. In 1941, the restrictions of World War II and rising costs from £3-£27 million, forced construction to stop. Work eventually recommenced on the crypt, which was finished in 1958. The present Cathedral was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd.

Construction took place between October 1962 and May 1967, but soon after its opening, it began to exhibit architectural flaws. This led to the cathedral authorities suing Sir Frederick for £1.3 million. London Cathedral (St Paul's) Church of England A cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood atop Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, for more than 1,400 years. The present structure, the masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren, is at least the fourth to have stood on the site. Built between 1675 and 1710, after its predecessor was destroyed by the Great Fire of London. London Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile, is the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Apostolic Exarchate in Great Britain. The structure was designed by Alfred Waterhouse, the architect of the Natural History Museum, and built as the King’s Weigh House Chapel in 1891.

Manchester Cathedral Church of England Although extensively restored and extended during the Victorian era, and then again after severe bomb damage during the Manchester Blitz of 1940, the main body of the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, largely derives from a medieval parish church Middlesbrough Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin is a modern, light building, specifically designed to involve the congregation in active participation. An earlier cathedral, on another site in the city, had served the community since 1879. Newcastle Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas, is named after the patron saint of sailors and boats. Originally a parish church dating from 1091, this was destroyed by fire in 1216 and later rebuilt in 1359. It became a cathedral in 1882 when the Diocese of Newcastle was created. Newcastle Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St. Mary, was designed by Augustus Welby Pugin and built in the Gothic Revival style of architecture championed by him, between 1842 and 1844.

It gained the status of a cathedral church in 1850. Norwich Cathedral Church of England Dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Norwich Cathedral was built between 1096-1145 and added to throughout the medieval period. An earlier Saxon settlement and two churches were demolished to make room for the buildings. Norwich Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of St John the Baptist is the second largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England. Constructed between 1882 and 1910 as a parish church, it was consecrated as the cathedral for the Diocese of East Anglia in 1976. Northampton Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The origins of the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Thomas date back to 1840, when Augustus Pugin was commisioned to design a collegiate chapel. Pugin's son Edward, was invited to further extend the building creating the current cathedral, which opened in 1864. Nottingham Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Designed by Augustus Pugin, the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St. Barnabas was built between 1841-1844.

It was raised to cathedral status in 1852, by a decree of Pope Pius IX. Oxford Cathedral Church of England Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral for the Diocese of Oxford, in addition, it is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. Originally the church of St Frideswide's Priory, Cardinal Wolsey began the building of his college here in 1522. Peel Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral Church of Saint German is the parish church of the parish of German, which was built 1879-84. It was made a cathedral by an Act of Tynwald in 1980. The remains of the original cathedral (circa 1183) lie within the walls of Peel Castle, which fell into ruin in the 18th century. Peterborough Cathedral Church of England With its origins dating back to King Peada, who founded the first monastery on the site in 655. It was built in its present form between 1118 and 1238, and became the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Peterborough in 1541.

Plymouth Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of St Mary and St Boniface first opened for Catholic Mass on 25th March 1858, and was consecrated in September 1880. The Patron St Boniface was born in nearby Crediton. Portsmouth Cathedral Church of England Around 1180, Jean de Gissor, a wealthy Norman merchant gifted land to Augustinian canons, to build a chapel "to the Glorious Honour of the Martyr Thomas of Canterbury." The chapel first became a parish church in the 14th century and a cathedral in the 20th century. Portsmouth Cathedral Roman Catholic Church St John's Cathedral opened for worship in August 1882 and was immediately made the Mother Church of the new Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth. It replaced a chapel built in 1796, which subsequently closed. The cathedral was completed in four phases, between 1882 and 1906 Ripon Cathedral Church of England Saint Wilfred built one of England’s first stone churches on this site in 672. Today’s church is the fourth to have occupied this site.

The tiny 7th century chapel remains complete beneath the later grandeur of Archbishop Roger de Pont l’Evêque’s 12th century minster. Rochester Cathedral Church of England The second oldest bishopric in England, the Rochester diocese was founded by Justus, one of the missionaries who accompanied St Augustine of Canterbury in the early 7th century. The present building dates back to the work of the French monk, Gundulf, in 1080. St Albans Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban is dedicated to Britain's first Christian martyr. Alban surrendered his life for his faith in the pre-Christian Roman city of Verulamium, present day St Albans. Much of its present architecture is Norman, and it became a cathedral in 1877. Salford Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist was built between 1844-48 to designs of Matthew Ellison Hadfield. It was the first Catholic church to be built in cruciform shape since the Reformation and was closely modelled on the Gothic builders of the 13th and 14th centuries.

Salisbury Cathedral Church of England In 1220 AD Bishop Richard Poore and his architect Elias de Derham set about building a new state-of-the-art Gothic style cathedral to replace the old Norman Cathedral at Old Sarum. Completed in just 38 years, it features a single consistent architectural style. Sheffield Cathedral Church of England Originally a parish church, the Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield was elevated to cathedral status when the new diocese was created in 1914. The current structure has been changed and rebuilt over several centuries. Sheffield Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Designed by Matthew Ellison Hadfield, the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of St Marie was closely modelled on a 14th century church at Heckington, Lincolnshire. St Marie’s opened in 1850, and was consecrated after the buidling debt had been paid off in 1889. Shrewsbury Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Designed by Edward Pugin the son of Augustus, the Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of Our Lady, Help of Christians and St. Peter of Alcantara, was completed in 1856.

A much grander building had been planned, but these designs could not be carried out due to the site's weak foundations. Southwark Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie 'over the water' has been a place of Christian worship for more than 1,000 years, but a cathedral only since the creation of the diocese of Southwark in 1905. The church in its present form, dates between 1220-1420. Southwark Cathedral (or St George's Cathedral) Roman Catholic Church Situated opposite the Imperial War Museum close to Waterloo station, St George's Cathedral was consecrated in 1848 but was heavily damaged by bombing in World War 2. The photo on the right shows a priest surveying the damage. Southwell Minster Church of England The earliest church on the site is believed to have been founded in 627. The Norman reconstruction of the minster began in 1108, probably as a gradual rebuilding of the Anglo-Saxon stone church. The minster finally became a cathedral in 1884.

Truro Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro, was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style between 1880 -1910, on the site of the 16th century parish church of St Mary the Virgin. Wakefield Cathedral Church of England The Cathedral Church of All Saints is situated in the centre of Wakefield, on the site of a Saxon church. The current Norman structure was rebuilt in 1329, and rebuilt and enlarged again in 1469. All Saints Church became the cathedral of the diocese in 1888. Wells Cathedral Church of England The first church was established on the site in 705 by King Ine of Wessex. Construction of the present cathedral began in 1175 and was largely complete at the time of its dedication in 1239. Westminster Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales. The site was purchased by the Archdiocese of Westminster in 1885 and construction started in 1895.

The cathedral opened in 1903, however due to a quirk of Catholic Church law the consecration ceremony did not take place until June 1910. Winchester Cathedral Church of England A cathedral was founded close to the current building in 652, when England’s pagan monarchy first became Christians. Known as the Old Minster, it was demolished in 1093, immediately after the consecration of its new Norman successor. Worcester Cathedral Church of England The current Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin of Worcester, was built between 1084-1504, and as such almost every style of English architecture is represented. The older Saxon cathedral it replaced was founded in 680. York Minster Church of England The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England. The first recorded church on the site was a wooden structure hurriedly built in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. The current Norman style building dates from 1080, which has been added to over the centuries.

Abderdeen Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church The Episcopal Cathedral Church of St Andrew opened in 1817 as St Andrew's Chapel and was raised to Cathedral status in 1914. Designed by local architect Archibald Simpson, who became famous for planning the new town of Edinburgh. Ayr Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of Saint Margaret, also known as Ayr Cathedral, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galloway. St Margaret’s was designated a cathedral in 2007, and is the most recent church to be given status as a Roman Catholic cathedral in the United Kingdom. Dornoch Cathedral Church of Scotland Dornoch Cathedral was built in the 13th century during the reign of King Alexander II as the cathedral church of the diocese of Caithness. It was built by Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness, at his own expense. Almost totally destroyed during a fire in 1570, it was partially restored in 1616 and fully restored in 1837.

Dundee Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church Built on the site a medieval seat of power in the area, the foundation stone of the Anglican St Paul's Cathedral was laid on 21 July 1853 and it was completed in 1855. Designed by George Gilbert Scott in Middle Gothic style, it was raised to cathedral status in 1905. Edinburgh St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Edinburgh, was consecrated in 1879. St Mary’s is Scotland’s largest cathedral, and a fine example of Victorian Gothic architecture. Edinburgh St Giles Cathedral Church of Scotland Also known as the High Kirk of Edinburgh, St Giles is dedicated to the patron saint of Edinburgh. A place of worship for over 900 years, the present cathedral dates from the late 14th century but with extensive 19th century restorations. Glasgow Cathedral Church of Scotland Glasgow church is reputedly built on the same site where the Patron Saint of Glasgow, St Mungo, built his own church in the early 7th century.

The current building dates from the 13th century, and is one of the few medieval cathedrals in Scotland to have survived the reformation intact. St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow Scottish Episcopal Church The Cathedral Church of St Mary the Virgin, was opened on 9 November 1871 as St Mary's Episcopal Church and was completed in 1893. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, it was raised to cathedral status in 1908. It is one of four cathedrals in Glasgow. Inverness Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church The Episcopal Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew was designed by local architect Alexander Ross, with construction starting in 1866, the building work was completed in 1869. A lack of funding meant that the two giant spires featured in his design were never realised. Millport Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church The Cathedral of The Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit is Britain’s smallest Cathedral and dates from 1851. Planned as a theological college for the Scottish Episcopal Church, it was seen as a “new” Iona, and in 1876 was consecrated Cathedral of the Isles.

Motherwell Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Good Aid, popularly known as Motherwell Cathedral, opened as a Roman Catholic parish church in December 1900, it was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1948. Oban Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church The congregation of the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine first gathered in 1846. Construction work continued on the structure until 1910, when funds ran out. Paisley Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Dedicated to the patron saint of Paisley, the Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin was completed in 1931. A former Roman Catholic parish church, it was raised to cathedral status in 1948. Neo-Romanesque in style, its architect was Thomas Baird. Perth Cathedral Scottish Episcopal Church The Cathedral Church of St Ninian was built on the site of an older Dominican monastery and was the first to be built in Britain since the Reformation, being consecrated in 1850. Designed by the London architect, William Butterfield, it was completed by 1914. Bangor Cathedral The Church in Wales Originally occupied by St.

Deiniol's monastery, established around 525, Bangor Cathedral is located on a low-lying and inconspicuous site, possibly to avoid the attention of raiders from the sea. The earliest part of the present building dates from the episcopate of Bishop David 1120–1139. Today's structure is the result of extensive work carried out under the supervision of Sir George Gilbert Scott begun in 1868. Brecon Cathedral The Church in Wales Previously the church of Brecon Priory founded in 1093, and later the 16th century Parish Church of St John the Evangelist, it became Brecon Cathedral in 1923. It is thought that the Norman Priory might have been built on the site of an older, possibly Celtic, church. Cardiff Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St David was designed by the London firm of architects of Pugin & Pugin and constructed between 1884-87. Damaged by World War II bombing in 1941, it was restored and rebuilt during the 1950’s and re-opened in March 1959.

Llandaff Cathedral The Church in Wales The Cathedral Church of SS Peter & Paul, Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy, is one of two cathedrals in Cardiff, the other being the Catholic Cardiff Cathedral. The current building was constructed in the 12th century over the site of an earlier church. Newport Cathedral The Church in Wales Newport’s St. Woolos Cathedral has sections that date from Anglo-Saxon times, together with a large 12th century Norman Nave enclosed within later mediaeval aisles. Restored whilst still a church in 1850, St. Woolos attained full cathedral status in 1949. St Asaph Cathedral The Church in Wales Saint Kentigern built his church on this site in 560. When he returned to Strathclyde in 573, he left Asa (or Asaph) as his successor. Since that time the Cathedral has been dedicated to Saint Asaph. Reputed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Great Britain, the present building dates mainly from the 13th century.

St David's Cathedral The Church in Wales The monastic community was founded by Saint David (Welsh: Dewi Sant), Abbot of Menevia, during the 6th century. During the next 450 years the monastry was regularly plagued by sea-born raiders. In 1115, with the area now under Norman control, the life of the community began to improve and construction of a new Cathedral began. The present Cathedral was started in 1181, and completed shortly afterwards. Swansea Cathedral Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of Saint Joseph was designed by Peter Paul Pugin and took two years to build. Originally dedicated as a church the building opened in 1888, and was elevated to a cathedral status in 1987. Wrexham Cathedral Roman Catholic Church Originally built as a Roman Catholic Parish Church in 1857, the Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows was designed by Edward Welby Pugin, son of the famous Augustus. In true family tradition, it adopted a 14th century Gothic Style. Have we missed something?

Although we've tried our hardest to list every cathedral in Britain, we're almost postitive that a few have slipped through our net... that's where you come in! If you've noticed a site that we've missed, please help us out by filling in the form below. If you include your name we'll be sure to credit you on the website. Name of Destination* Description Please tell us a little bit about the attraction, site or destination that we have missed. (Not required) Related Articles The landmark buildings that never were - BBC News BBC News The landmark buildings that never were 24 July 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel The recently opened Shard is already a familiar landmark on the London skyline, but how might the UK's urban landscapes look if some of the most architecturally ambitious plans of past centuries had been fully realised? Economic and social factors across the ages meant that some of the grandest designs of renowned architects such as Lutyens and Inigo Jones were never completed. Here are five ambitious building projects that never made it off the drawing-board. Liverpool's Catholic Cathedral The famed architect Sir Edwin Lutyens was commissioned in 1929 to build a new Catholic cathedral in Liverpool.

The building he planned was monumental. "It would have been 60ft (18m) higher than St Peter's in Rome, it would have been twice the height of St Paul's in London," says Anthony O'Brien, Dean of Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, which now stands on the original site. Lutyens' aim was to build a vast brick and granite cathedral topped with a 510ft (155m) dome. The cathedral was to be perched on a high point in the city, its vantage point and sheer size would have dominated the skyline. "Right from the beginning, Liverpool Cathedral seemed incredibly ambitious. Lutyens was always intensely competitive in his work," says Jane Ridley, biographer and great-granddaughter of the architect. House of God Sir Edwin Lutyens, proposed architect of Liverpool's Catholic Cathedral was Anglican Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral designed in 1903 by Giles Gilbert Scott - a Catholic Foundation stone of Lutyens' plan laid in 1933 but building never finished Lutyens also designed large sections of Delhi Lutyens died New Year's Day 1944 A campaign was launched among the city's Catholic community to raise funds.

"In order to finance the building, the parishioners were asked to donate any old gold or jewellery that would contribute to the cost of the building," says Geraldine Judge, a church community worker in Liverpool. Work began in 1933 with the building of the crypt. That's as far as it got. "The crypt is complete. It is a great Lutyens building in its own right. It is staggeringly big. It is like walking into a colossal Edwardian railway terminus," says broadcaster Jonathan Glancey. Why didn't it happen? The cost was always prohibitive, but work halted with the outbreak of World War II and as the conflict progressed Lutyens lost enthusiasm. The grand project ran out of steam after his death in January 1944. Edinburgh's grand classical avenue South Bridge in central Edinburgh is a traffic-heavy road packed with discount shops - a far cry from plans drawn up in the 1780s for a grand, classical avenue that would have provided a welcoming entrance to one of the great cities of the Age of Enlightenment .

South Bridge Plans followed construction of Edinburgh's North Bridge in 1772 Bridge required to cross a ravine Designed by Robert Adam, charged £1200 for his design but only received £900 Adam died in 1792 Architect Robert Kay went on to complete South Bridge Designed by Robert Adam, a giant of 18th Century architecture, the avenue would have included assembly rooms, tea-rooms, colonnades and town-houses. The avenue was never fully realised but parts of the project were built. Adam's Register House shows the architect's vision for an "Enlightenment Edinburgh" says historian Nicholas Phillipson. "There was a sense that Edinburgh would change. There was a shortage of houses and of public buildings. The city had lost its parliament and aristocratic elite. Where would Edinburgh go?" says Phillipson. Adam's vision was to create one of the most beautiful streets in Europe - on a par with Renaissance palaces of northern Italy. Why didn't it happen? Although he was a renowned architect, Adam had a reputation for over-spending.

"Adam charged £1200 for his designs alone, so I dread to think how much it would have cost to produce the finished article," says Frances Sands, curator at the Soane Museum. Find out more Listen to architect Jonathan Glancey's journey through Unbuilt Britain on BBC Radio 4 at 13:45 BST each day this week Catch up with episode one on Liverpool Cathedral on iPlayer via the link (UK only) Adam was asked to build South Bridge but ended up redesigning parts of the city, says Sands. "It was a little unrealistic to think anyone would have the money to pay for this scheme, but that is characteristic of Adam, who did rather get carried away," says Sands. Edinburgh's city fathers knew they could get a cheaper scheme, says Iain Gordon Brown of Edinburgh World Heritage . "They wanted utility, rather than grandeur. They wanted something functional. They wanted a viaduct with houses and shops which could be let to provide rates. "Adam's scheme was not built but the pattern of it survives, elements of the plan are evident in Edinburgh today in Hunter Square and Blair Street, preserving the ghost of what might have been," says Brown.

Inigo Jones's Whitehall palace Imagine a monarch's residence in central London that would dwarf Buckingham Palace. It was almost a reality and perhaps the most ambitious design never built. Whitehall Palace - to replace the earlier complex of the same name - was the dream of Inigo Jones, the first English architect to design in the Classical style. Jones's plan aimed to create a huge palace covering the area now known as Downing Street, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and large swathes of St James' Park. James I was keen to bankroll Jones's grand scheme. The first part - Banqueting House - was built in 1622 and still stands on Whitehall. Other fragments survive under Downing Street, says Simon Thurley of English Heritage. "This was the first building in England in which the rules of Classical architecture were properly understood and it was far bigger than the then-standing Tudor Whitehall palace. "James I was incredibly ambitious for London and the monarchy architecturally," says Thurley. "The Banqueting House hall is big enough to be a bus garage, you could get eight double-decker London buses into it and that was less than 5% of what Jones wanted to build." Why didn't it happen?

In the early days of his reign, James I's son and successor - Charles I - was keen to continue the project but struggled to raise funds. Whitehall Palace Palace on the site from 13th Century First parts of Jones's renewal commissioned by King James I Inigo Jones submitted further plans in 1638 Jones's design covered much of what is now Whitehall and St James' Park Much of Tudor-era palace destroyed by fires in 1690s Henry VIII's covered tennis courts survived and now form part of Cabinet Office building "The king was always fighting with parliament about funds, which was what eventually caused the English Civil War of 1642, so [this] was probably a doomed project from the very start," says historian Michael Leitman. "What is astonishing is that Charles I was trying to get this palace built in the lead-up to the Civil War, when everything was collapsing around his ears," says Thurley. "He was captured and locked up in Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and still called Inigo Jones to visit him. Together they designed this palace." Charles I was later beheaded under the orders of Oliver Cromwell in January 1649.

He died in front of Banqueting House. London's pyramid of death Today, Primrose Hill in north London is a park offering views of the city. But in 1829, with a squeeze on burial space in the capital, architect Thomas Willson planned a pyramid mausoleum to hold up to five million bodies. Willson, born in 1780 and trained at the Royal Academy, wanted the pyramid to be 94-storeys high and cover a site of 18 acres, (7000 sq m). "It was supposed to be compact, hygienic and ornamental," says Catharine Arnold, an expert on London's dead. "Willson hoped people would come to admire this huge pyramid from far and wide, picnicking on Primrose Hill and enjoying this splendid monument. But it would be rather like a giant car-park of the dead," says Arnold. The pyramid-design caught the public's mood for Egyptiana - the height of fashion at the time. Winding walks, similar to today's Guggenheim Museum in New York, were planned to transport the bodies through the pyramid's catacombs to their final resting places. Why didn't it happen?

"It would have been monumental, but grotesque - a literal Valhalla," says author Simon Jenkins. "Public opinion stopped it. The arguments for leaving the site wild won the day and Primrose Hill became one of London's most popular parks." Pyramid Mausoleum Planned to ease London's lack of burial space Designed by early Victorian architect Thomas Willson to hold 5m bodies The pyramid was to be 94-storeys high Projected completion cost of £2,500 in 1829 Willson claimed the pyramid would make £10m profit when full, but there was suspicion among the authorities that his figures did not add up. There was also concern that the weight of the bricks may have crushed Primrose Hill. And the public mood turned against necropolises - cities of the dead - as garden-style cemeteries became the norm. With the building of Highgate cemetery in 1829, the pyramid scheme was finally shelved. McCaig's tower, Oban, Scotland McCaig's Tower stands on a hillside overlooking Oban in Argyll, Scotland.

Planned by local businessman John Stuart McCaig as a Scottish version of the Coliseum in Rome, many now refer to it as McCaig's Folly. Situated on two acres of ground, 230ft (70m) above sea-level, it was designed by McCaig himself. Work began in 1896 - at a cost of about £6000 - but it was never completed. McCaig's Tower Coliseum-style construction designed and funded by John Stuart McCaig in 1896 Intended as a monument to the McCaig family Proposed cost estimated at £6000 Views from the tower across to Inner Hebrides Tower part never built and build finally shelved in 1915 It's a Gothic unfinished coliseum above a small Scottish highland port. It's very strange," says Johnny Roger of the Glasgow School of Art. "It's a personal vanity project.

McCaig was going to fill this coliseum with statues of himself and his family, not heroes of Scotland's past." But the politically radical McCaig was also a great philanthropist, and he also wanted to provide work for local stonemasons and artisans at a time of great unemployment. Why didn't it happen? McCaig died in 1902 and building stopped. McCaig left about £60,000 - £6m today - in his will, and instructions that the tower be completed by local workmen. His sister did not want to finish the building and successfully appealed the legacy. The judge, some believe, opposed McCaig politically and ruled against the tower on the grounds that the public would have no right of access. "The criticism levelled at McCaig was that he had done nothing for the community. That was transparently not so and the only explanation must have been political - that the judges did not approve of his politics," says Michael Moss, historian at the University of Glasgow. Further court rulings in 1915 halted the project and the coliseum, without its tower, stands incomplete.

Ten moustached architects Home » Explore » Exhibitions and events » Mackintosh » Explore » Ten moustached architects There is more to Mackintosh than his distinctive facial hair, but was the moustache popular with other architects? Categories Workshops The image of Charles Rennie Mackintosh in his younger years during the height of his success is not complete without his moustache. Which other architects have sported this look? Although it never went away, according to the visual material in our collections, peak moustache for architects was somewhere around the first half of the 20th century – time for a revival? 1. Charles Garnier (1825-1898) Image: Palais Garnier (Opera de Paris), Paris, 1870s © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Charles Garnier in 1886 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection French architect, born in Paris. His most well-known buildings include the Parisian opera house Palais Garnier . In 1858 he won the competition to design the opera house, but it didn't open until 1875. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1886. 2.

Maurice Bingham Adams (1849-1933) Image: Passmore Edwards Public Library, Camberwell © Nicholas Breach / RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Maurice Bingham Adams in 1923 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Maurice Bingham Adams was a long-time editor of weekly journal Building News, contributing many of its illustrations. He was the designer of many of the buildings funded by philanthropist Passmore Edwards , including public libraries, such as Camberwell, London. Adams was influential in promoting the London garden suburb Bedford Park. 3. Sir John James Burnet (1857-1938) Image: Unilever House, City of London © Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Sir John James Burnet in the 1920s © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Burnet was born in Glasgow and studied in Paris. The bulk of his work can be found in his hometown and, from the later part of his long career, in London.

In the capital his prestigious projects included the British Museum Edward VII Galleries , Lloyds Bank Limited headquarters and, with James Lomax-Simpson, Unilever House. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1923. Image: Gilbert Cass, around 1910 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Cass was a prolific American architect and designed a number of important commercial buildings in the US, amongst them the Woolworth Building in New York, which was the tallest building in the world when completed in 1913. He also designed public buildings, from the large United States Supreme Court building to the smaller St Louis Public Library, in a classical or Beaux Arts style. 5. Sir Edward Guy Dawber (1861-1938) Image: Designs for a house Stowell Hill, Templecombe, Somerset © RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections Image: Edward Guy Dawber in 1918 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Dawber was president of the RIBA between 1925 and 1927. His work consisted mainly of country houses and he designed few projects for an urban setting.

Perhaps then it is no surprise that he was one of the founders of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England , and he wrote widely on vernacular architecture. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1928. 6. Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865-1945) Image: Blackwell, near Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott, around 1900 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Born into a large landowning family, Scott qualified from agricultural college before switching to architecture. Working in the Arts & Crafts style he often designed both the interiors and exteriors. Amongst his most famous works is Blackwell . He produced the winning design for the Haus eines Kunstfreundes ('House for an Art Lover') in 1901, the same competition Mackintosh entered but disqualified from due to late entry. For both entrants, the competition introduced them to new clients and contacts. 7.

Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) Image: Design for the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool © RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections Image: Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1942 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Lutyens was a major figure in the late 19th and the first half of the 20th century, thanks to his country houses and prestigious projects such as New Delhi and the war memorials commemorating the fallen of World War I. As with most architects, there were plenty of unbuilt projects, and the most well known designed by Lutyen's was Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral. The cathedral was eventually built, but to the design of another moustached architect, Sir Frederick Gibberd . 8. Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) Image: Design for the British Pavilion, Expo '67, Montreal © RIBA Library Drawings and Archives Collections Image: Sir Basil Spence in 1955 © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Spence was born in Bombay and was president of the RIBA between 1958 and 1960.

Much of his work is in Britain, most famously Coventry Cathedral . Notable projects overseas include the Beehive in Wellington, New Zealand, and the temporary British Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal, Canada. Spence won the competition to design Coventry Cathedral after the original building had been devastated by bombing during World War II, beating off competition from the likes of the Smithsons . 9. Sir Frederick Gibberd (1908-1984) Image: Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool © Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Sir Frederick Gibberd in the 1960s © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Gibberd was born in Coventry and was influential as an architect and town planner, both in practice and as a writer on these fields. He played an important role in the development in the new town Harlow , where he lived for a large part of his life. His buildings have played a high-profile part in the spiritual life of Britain, through his London Central Mosque and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (a building that was originally to be designed by the moustached Lutyens ).

Image: Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall © Jonathan Makepeace / RIBA Library Photographs Collection Image: Nicholas Grimshaw in the 1960s © RIBA Library Photographs Collection Grimshaw was an early pioneer of the High-Tech movement. Grimshaw Architects , the firm he founded and still chairs, has offices across four continents. This large practice has designed work covering transport, commercial and cultural uses. One of theirs most innovative projects was the Eden Project in Cornwall, a series of plastic, steel-frame domes housing plants from across the world. The architecture and style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh is the subject of a new exhibition. Mackintosh Architecture is open at the RIBA from 18 February to 23 May 2015. Entry is free. References Available from the British Architectural Library, RIBA Placzek, A. K. (ed), 1982. Macmillan encyclopedia of architects. New York: Free Press; London: Collier Macmillan Book. 038-BIOGRAPHY Brodie, A., Felstead, A., Franklin, J., Pinfield, L., and Oldfield, J., 2001.

Directory of British Architects 1834-1914 / British Architectural Library. Royal Institute of British Architects. London: Continuum Book. 038-BIOGRAPHY-ARCHITECTS-G.B. Article by Wilson Yau, 2015 British Architectural Library, RIBA Unbuilt Britain: the landmarks that never were | Radio Times Twitter Unbuilt Britain: the landmarks that never were A cathedral to dwarf St Paul's, a palace in Whitehall and a 19th-century pyramid - Jonathan Glancey reveals some extravagant abandoned building projects Comments Jonathan Glancey 11:28 AM, 23 July 2012 Suddenly, architecture is back in the headlines. Why? The completion of the Shard London Bridge, of course. At 310m, this pointy skyscraper by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano is not as tall as the 828m Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, currently the tallest man-made structure in the world, but it is the tallest building in the European Union – high enough, then, to make the front pages. It’s even been called a 21st-century successor to the Eiffel Tower.

So, too, has the 115m ArcelorMittal Orbit, the bright red observation tower for the London 2012 Olympics designed by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond; another media favourite, it’s Olympian, controversial and tall. I can’t help wondering how these headline-stealing structures would have been treated if they had never been built. Which unbuilt buildings stick in our minds – not just those of living memory, but designs conjured hundreds of years ago? With Mark Rickards of BBC Scotland, I’ve made a series of five short programmes on this very subject: Unbuilt Britain. This has given me the chance to travel the country and reach back through history to find some of the magnificent, tragic and downright bonkers buildings that for one reason or another were never built… Lutyens’ cathedral Imagine an English church so big that Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral would have fitted comfortably inside. The magnificent and impossibly expensive design above was Edwin Lutyens’ domed Roman Catholic cathedral for Liverpool.

A fusion of classical, Baroque and Byzantine architecture seen through a 20th-century lens, it was to have outshone the city’s neo-Gothic Anglican Cathedral, completed in 1978, a short walk away. Begun in 1933, the year Hitler came to power, it was the war with Germany that caused work to stop. Only the cavernous crypt was completed, and a low-cost, space-capsule design in concrete took its place. Adam’s South Bridge Edinburgh’s South Bridge is an elevated street leading to the city centre. Narrow, busy and rundown, it is a sorry reflection of the design originally proposed by the 18th-century neoclassical architect Robert Adam at the time of the city’s famous Enlightenment. However enlightened, the city fathers were unwilling to pay for Adam’s monumental scheme for one of the most ambitious of all 18th-century streets. With its colonnades, pediments, porticoes and balconies, Adam’s South Bridge was to have been among the grandest and most fashionable of European boulevards. A much cheaper scheme by Robert Kay was built instead.

Willson’s pyramid London expanded rapidly from the 18th century; all too soon its churchyard cemeteries overflowed with more corpses than the newly gaslit city could manage. In 1829, Thomas Willson, a young architect, came up with a solution, proposing nothing less than the biggest pyramid of all time on Primrose Hill overlooking the city. Inside, 94 floors of corridors, reached by spiral ramp and steam-powered lift, were to be lined with catacombs for five million bodies. The base of this macabre monument would have been the size of Russell Square. Its sheer scale was simply too much for Londoners to bear. Inigo Jones’s palace The ambitious Stuarts believed in the divine right of kings. As God’s representatives, they dreamt of a palace in London that would make the Louvre and the Escorial seem small beer in comparison. Inigo Jones drew up detailed plans for a palace stretching from the Thames to St James’s Park in one direction and from what became Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square in the other. The plan was dropped when Charles I lost his head, only to be revived after the Restoration.

It was laid to rest by William and Mary, who had no wish to live in central London. McCaig’s Tower As a monument to personal vanity and to his family, the Scottish businessman and self-proclaimed art critic John Stuart McCaig designed, and began building, a slightly Gothic version of the Roman Colosseum overlooking the Inner Hebrides on a hilltop above Oban. McCaig was also a philanthropist and the work involved in the construction of what is today known as McCaig’s Tower employed masons and labourers who would have been penniless otherwise during the recessions of the 1890s. This strangely haunting amphitheatre, designed to celebrate high culture and the McCaig cult, was never completed; it remains an empty shell.

Question: Which famous architect designed the unbuilt Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool?
Answer: Edwin Lutyens