Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Source: Instytut Polonika, License terms and conditions
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland
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ID: POL-001356-P/135045

St Mary's Church in Leyland

ID: POL-001356-P/135045

St Mary's Church in Leyland

Variants of the name:

Kościół benedyktynów St. Mary’s w Leyland

The central building is circular in plan, with a disjointed body, which is formed by a curved roof over the main entrance, free-standing chapels with flowing forms. A tall, openwork bell tower stands next to the church. The contrasts of materials - brick and concrete - are enriched by a huge ceramic panneau of the Last Judgement in the façade.

The foundation stone for one of the largest Catholic churches in the region was laid by the Archbishop of Liverpool, John C. Heenan on 15.09.1962. The Benedictine church was initiated by Abbot Edmund Fitzsimons, who even travelled around Europe looking for models of modern church building. The construction was undertaken by Weightman and Bullen of Liverpool, a firm specialising in the architecture of schools and churches, the construction was directed by the engineer Stanislaw Lancucki, and the design was provided by the Polish émigré Jerzy Faczynski, who worked with the firm on a permanent basis in Liverpool. In the oeuvre of this poet, painter, graphic artist and graduate of the Polish School of Architecture in Liverpool, the church in Leyland was to become the most serious work. Indeed, most of his projects remained anonymous as works in design offices. Direct inspiration came from Frederick Gibberd's winning (but unrealised) competition design for Liverpool Archcathedral. From this, the concept of a circular plan was adopted, with a ring of chapels and a separate Blessed Sacrament chapel on the axis. However, the Leyland church's magnificent interior is made more expressive by the fan-shaped shell of the concrete dome and the pillars supporting its drum, as well as the specially profiled ceramic elements lining the drum. The colour scheme is also enhanced by the church's openwork walls, which are filled with coloured glass panes. Despite reminiscences of the work of Le Corbusier, Felix Candela and Pier Luigi Nervi, among others, the church - especially inside - retains a stylistic consistency.

Faczyński is also the author of many decorative elements: the metal cartouches, the stained-glass windows with angels in the Sacrament Chapel, the large fabric of the Holy Trinity and the painting of St Benedict. However, the church's rich programme also includes, among others, the Stations of the Cross with metal figures by Arthur Dooley, expressively 'hammered' into the pillars, the ceramic cross under the lantern of Adam Kossowski's dome and, above all, his huge ceramic scene of the 'Last Judgement' in the façade of the church, above the main entrance.

Related persons:

Time of origin:

design 1959, construction 1962-64, consecration 4.04.1964

Creator:

Jerzy Faczyński (architekt, malarz; Polska, USA)(preview), Weightman and Bullen (firma architektoniczna; Wielka Brytania), Taylor, Whalley and Spyra (firma inżynieryjna; Wielka Brytania)

Bibliography:

  • H. Heinsdorf, Angielski kościół i polscy artyści, „Tydzień Polski”, 1964, nr 22 [przedruk w: Sztuka polska w Wielkiej Brytanii 1940-2000. Antologia, red. M.A. Supruniuk, Toruń 2006, s. 161-164.
  • H. Heinsdorf, Jerzy Faczyński – talent wielostronny, „Wiadomości”, 1967, nr 24 [przedruk w: Sztuka polska w Wielkiej Brytanii 1940-2000. Antologia, red. M.A. Supruniuk, Toruń 2006, s. 121-123.
  • R. Proctor, St. Mary’s, Leyland near Preston. Building of the month (May 2008), www. c20society.org.uk/botm/st-mary, www.c20society.org.uk/botm/st-mary.
  • L. Gerc, ‘Studies in polish architecture’ by Jerzy Faczyński, „Archiwum Emigracji”, Toruń 2012., s. 316-317.
  • P. Kaniewski, Polska Szkoła Architektury w Wielkiej Brytanii 1942-1954, s. 197.
  • Inwentarz Archiwum Adama Kossowskiego, https://www.bu.umk.pl/Archiwum_Emigracji/Kossowski-inwentarz.pdf.

Keywords:

Author:

prof. Andrzej Pieńkos
see more Text translated automatically
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013
Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Photo showing St Mary\'s Church in Leyland Gallery of the object +6
Leyland, kościół St. Mary’s, arch. Jerzy Faczyński i firma Weightman and Bullen, realizacja łupiny żelbetowej firma Taylor, Whalley and Spyra, projekt 1959, budowa 1962-1964, photo Andrzej Pieńkos, 2013

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