St John's Cathedral
聖約翰座堂
1847, Religious 宗教建築
St John’s Cathedral is located at a quiet corner in the bustling downtown area of Central. Sir John Davis, then Governor, laid the foundation stone for the Cathedral in 1847. Constructed in the style of Gothic architecture of Victoria era, the Cathedral was completed with its consecration ceremony held in 1849. Without towering flying buttresses, slim rib vaults or apses, St John’s Cathedral is still a magnificent Gothic architecture that captures natural light with stained glass glazing in the east. Together with the statue of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ above the window, the architecture portrays the image of heaven with sunlight and impresses people with its exquisiteness and solemnity. The land beneath St John’s Cathedral is the only freehold land in Hong Kong. The Cathedral was a declared monument of Hong Kong in 1996.
清幽的聖約翰座堂，在煩囂的中環鬧市中自成一角。座堂於1847年由當時的總督戴維斯爵士奠基，1849年落成及祝聖，是維多利亞時期的哥德式建築物；雖然沒有高聳入雲的飛扶壁，瘦骨嶙峋的肋架拱劵或半圓後殿，但座堂仍秉承哥德建築對天然光的執着，東邊的彩色玻璃窗及其上的基督受難像，以日光塑造出人們心中所嚮往的天國形象，教堂內的空間因此變得絢麗、莊嚴。座堂腳下是香港唯一一片沒有年期，永久持有的土地，於1996年被列為法定古蹟。
文：王樂賢 (香港註冊建築師)
攝影：洪彬芬 (香港註冊建築師)
http://www.etnet.com.hk/www/tc/diva/art_hkac_detail.php?id=28849&page=6
