Tange Kenzo (1913-2005), the very same Japanese architect who designed Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building which we have visited recently, designed this futuristic catholic cathedral, too. Construction work began in April 1963 and the cathedral was consecrated on 8th December 1964. This means it is 54 years old. I can hardly believe it because it looks very futuristic to me, even now.
The structure of this Cathedral building is very interesting. Eight curved walls, which are almost perpendicular, form one large cross. Walls are a.k.a. caved-in surfaces in the shape of hypar. This is not from my head, an architect told me this. 🙂
The brightness of the stainless roof symbolizes the light that Jesus Christ makes shine upon the world and in the hearts of menRight next to the entrance there is the baptismal font. The light falling from the round opening in the ceiling symbolies the light of GodPieta – this full-scale replica of famous Michelangelo´s Pieta, which is in St. Peter´s Basilica in the Vatican, was made from marble powderInterior with the High Altar. The hard walls of pre-cast concrete evoke the words of the Bible: “The Lord is my rock and my bastion…”Ceiling – looking up at the ceiling you can see that it was designed to create a shape of a latin crossStatue of St. Mary – in the chapel. St. Mary is the patroness saint of this St. Mary´s Cathedral. The Holy Eucharist is kept on this altarPipe organ – the largest in use in a Japanese church. It was made in Italy and installed in 2004. It was especially designed to match the Cathedral interiorThe Grotto of Lourdes – in the Cathedral courtyard, closely resembles the original in Lourdes. It was built by French Missionaries
