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The
Dome
St Paul's is built in the shape of a cross, with a large dome
crowning the intersection of its arms. At 111.3 metres high,
it is one of the largest cathedral domes in the world and
weighs approximately 65,000 tons. The area under the dome is
the principal place for worship in the Cathedral.
St Paul's has a three-dome structure. This allows the inner
dome to rise in proportion to the internal architecture
and the outer dome to be much larger and impressive. It is
this outer dome shell that is prominent on the London skyline.
The inner dome is the painted dome one can see looking up from
the cathedral floor. Between these two domes is a third; a
brick cone which provide strength and supports the stone
lantern above.
It has been suggested that Wren had intended to decorate the
inside of the dome in mosaic. But in 1708 the cathedral
commissioners appointed James Thornhill to paint it in
monochrome, partly because mosaic was expensive,
time-consuming and considered too elaborate.
Thornhill began work on the dome in 1715 and finished four
years later. His murals are based on a series of pen and ink
sketches on the life of St Paul. What we see today are
reproductions from Thornhill's designs that were repainted in
1853. The originals deteriorated as a result of the British
climate and London smog.
The Whispering Gallery
Climb 259 steps up the dome and you will find The Whispering
Gallery, which runs around the interior of the Dome. It gets
its name from a charming quirk in its construction, which
makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite
side.
The Stone Gallery
The Stone Gallery is the first of two galleries above the
Whispering Gallery that encircle the outside of the dome. The
Stone Gallery stands at 173 ft (53.4 metres) from ground-level
and can be reached by 378 steps.
The Golden Gallery
The Golden Gallery is the smallest of the galleries and runs
around the highest point of the outer dome, 280ft (85.4
metres) Visitors who climb the 528 steps to this gallery will
be treated to panoramic views of London that take in the River
Thames, Tate Modern and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.
The Ball and Lantern
The original ball and cross were erected by Andrew Niblett,
Citizen and Armourer of London, in 1708. They were replaced by
a new ball and cross in 1821 designed by the Surveyor to the
Fabric, CR Cockerell and executed by R and E Kepp. The ball
and cross stand at 23 feet high and weigh approximately 7
tonnes.
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