London - 45 - StPaul's by CDBrugg

Photography • Architecture • posted on Feb 24, 2006

Open full image in new tab Zoom on image

Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.

Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.

Description

St. Paul's famous dome, which has long dominated the London skyline, is composed of three shells: an outer dome, a concealed brick cone for structural support, and an inner dome. The cross atop its outer dome stands nearly 366 feet (112 metres) above ground level (some 356 feet [109 metres] above the main floor of the cathedral). Below the cross are an 850-ton lantern section and the outer, lead-encased dome, both of which are supported by the brick cone. At the base of the lantern (the apex of the outer dome) is the famous Golden Gallery, which offers panoramas of London some 530 steps (and some 280 feet [85 metres]) above the ground. Farther down, at a point just below the brick cone, is the Stone Gallery, another popular viewing spot. Visible from within the cathedral is the inner dome, a masonry shell with a diameter of 101 feet (31 metres). The frescoes and grisaille of the inner dome are best admired from the Whispering Gallery (so called because a whisper from one side of the gallery can be heard from the other side), 99 feet (30 metres) above the cathedral floor. Supporting the weight and thrust of the upper dome section are buttresses and columns in a peristyle; below these, near the height of the Whispering Gallery, is a circle of 32 buttresses not visible from the ground. Eight massive piers connect the buttresses of the dome area to the floor of the cathedral. - Encyclop

Comments (17)

)

TwoPynts

9:38AM | Fri, 24 February 2006

Very cool shot and info...the scene almost seems composited with that walkway at the left really standing out. Great early evening shot, the light is perfect. Thansk for the history lesson too!