The Cathedral Architects Association exists to promote excellence in the care of cathedral buildings. The collegiate nature of the Association provides a unique knowledge base that is sustained by the free and generous exchange of ideas, expertise, and the experiences of its members both active and retired. Membership is open to those who are appointed under the Care of Cathedrals Measure to look after Anglican cathedrals within England. Invitations are also extended to the architects of cathedrals of other denominations and jurisdictions such as Roman Catholic cathedrals, cathedrals in Wales and Scotland and also further afield. We benefit from the contributions of our corresponding members who have a close connection with cathedral work, including archaeology, construction, engineering, environmental services and the conservation of fabric and contents. The Association engages with national and local bodies that have responsibility for cathedral matters, such as Historic England, the Association of English Cathedrals, and the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England. The Association periodically runs events with a specific focus on different aspects of cathedral work, such as masonry conservation, innovations in lighting, and training for future cathedral architects.
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Events:
The first National Cathedrals Conference takes place in Manchester from 17 to 20 September. Members are invited to attend and may book here. "Entitled 'Sacred Space: Common Ground', the conference will see over 400 delegates gathering over four days. It will be addressed by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. It will be an opportunity for the Archbishops to voice their vision for the Church, and to help Cathedrals develop their important roles as places of gathering, inspiration, delight, education, challenge and debate."
News and views:
Seven designs for a replacement crossing spire after the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. Illustrated in Dezeen (30 April 2019)
New windows at Leicester Cathedral by Tom Denny (2016). Luke Jerram's 7-metre model of the moon visits Leicester (Church Times, April 2018)(Flickr)
Lost opportunity? Raising a new permanent Cathedral in Christ Church, New Zealand, has lost out to a reinstatement of the original (ACNS 16 April 2018), See also: The cardboard cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand, which remains a temporary structure but is now cited as being one of the principal reasons to visit the city. Architect Shigero Ban; completed 2013.
Chichester launches £5m+ appeal to replace copper with lead on the 13th-century roof (Church Times) (March 2018)
A new Anglican cathedral is inaugurated in Gasabo, Rwanda, with special attention to sound-proofing. (ACNS, March 2018)
Repairs to the National Cathedral in Washington DC may take another 10 years (ACNS, January 2018).
Codega Award goes to Strasbourg Cathedral for its new exterior lighting project. (November 2017)
The New York Times comments adversely on the comprehensive restorative work at Chartres (September 2017).
Frank Cranmer comments on the "Review of the governance of English Cathedrals" in Law & Religion UK, (10 April 2017)
5 years on
Zimbabwe cathedral returned - YouTube (February 2013).
The Sagradia Familia, now being transformed into an "an entirely post-Gaudían creation", is now "no better or worse than a kitschy mosque in Qatar or a kitschy Mormon temple in Washington, DC" says David Cohn in The Architectural Review (2012)
Wikipedia Lists of cathedrals