Old St Pauls, Wellington, NZ

On arriving at Old St Pauls, first impressions are not of utter awe and wonder of its size or beauty but more a feeling of peace - an oasis of calm set amongst a vastly different environment consisting of lack lustre concrete monsters looming down on the church’s plot of land. Its scale in relation to many of its stone counterparts elsewhere was limited by pragmatic issues: The adaptation of materials to the local timbers rather than stone and fear of earthquake and high winds restraining the architect, Fredrick Thatcher, to this design. For me this stands out as a very unique design aspect, one that sets it apart in those respects. Set in a

surrounds of native Pohutakawa trees filled with cicadas really tranquilises the mind as one enters the grounds plus the whitewashed vertical board and batten cladding raises the eyes and soul skyward.

Once through the front door your eyes have to adjust to the sudden change in light and colour. From the harsh bright light to the rich brown exposed wood structure of the foyer. During the afternoon the feeling of warmth is felt with the sunlight coming through the elevated “full-sized trefoil-headed window” and through the open entrance doors. Yet, no matter what the time, there is a contrast to the sometimes harsh light of day. Whilst being a small entrance, the height of the tower allows one to look up towards the bells giving an impression of space and grandeur. A somewhat smaller door pulls the viewer in further.

Some topics in this essay:
Anglican Church, English Gothic, Fredrick Thatcher, St Pauls, Church Wellington, Neo Gothic, Lord Nave, Margaret Alington, Totara Rimu, Cathedral Facing, neo gothic, sixty degree roof, english gothic, period geometric, sixty degree, degree roof, geometric forms, chancel pictured, church vital, native matai, gothic style, period geometric forms,