(ZENIT News / Liverpool, 06.23.2025).- The skyline of Liverpool is no stranger to architectural drama, but one structure—soaring, circular, and suffused with light—has just received a recognition for its cultural and historical significance. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, affectionately known by locals as «the Mersey Funnel» or simply «the Wigwam,» has been elevated to Grade I listed status by the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, following recommendations from Historic England.
The announcement marks a milestone in the evolving appreciation of mid-20th century modernist religious architecture, cementing the cathedral’s role as not only a liturgical center, but also a national treasure of design, engineering, and artistic collaboration.
Constructed between 1962 and 1967 atop the vast crypt envisioned by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the 1930s, the cathedral was a bold response to both modernist aesthetics and Vatican II’s call for renewed liturgical participation. Architect Sir Frederick Gibberd’s circular, centralized plan broke decisively from the axial layouts of European cathedrals, making Liverpool’s Catholic cathedral one of the most progressive sacred spaces of its time.
Its dramatic form—a crown of concrete and colored glass—invites light to fall in cascading hues across the open worship space below, drawing the eye upward and the spirit beyond. The central lantern, designed by artists John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens, introduced an innovative technique of setting epoxy-bound colored glass within delicate concrete tracery. This method, pioneered for this very building, transformed light itself into a medium of worship.
The cathedral’s Grade I status recognizes not just its structure, but its synergy of architecture and art. Collaborations with renowned artists resulted in sculptural doors by William Mitchell, a commanding crucifix by Elizabeth Frink, David Atkins’ vibrant geometric flooring, and Margaret Traherne’s expressive stained glass. Every element serves the building’s liturgical purpose while asserting its place in Britain’s cultural landscape.
This harmony of structure and spirit reflects a broader post-conciliar ethos: art as participation, architecture as welcome. As Archbishop John Sherrington put it, “The building has been called the soul of the city. Its colors and form lift hearts beyond the world, toward the transcendent.”
Reaction across the region has been swift and celebratory. Sarah Charlesworth of Historic England praised the cathedral as “one of the most significant architectural achievements of postwar Britain.” Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross noted its “visionary design” and ongoing power to inspire.
For Liverpool leaders, the listing is more than a formal honor—it is a validation of civic identity. MP Kim Johnson called the cathedral “deeply woven into the fabric of our city,” while Mayor Steve Rotheram hailed it as a “beacon of faith, hope, and innovation.” Councillor Liam Robinson described the Grade I designation as “a celebration of the city’s spirit of creativity, community, and resilience.”
The elevation to Grade I status comes during a Jubilee Year themed «Pilgrims of Hope,» a fitting frame for a building long associated with spiritual aspiration. Though born of an unrealized neoclassical dream, the cathedral that stands today is a triumph of 20th-century vision—functional, expressive, and resolutely human.
Catherine Croft of the Twentieth Century Society perhaps said it best: “The Wigwam is a powerful homecoming beacon for Liverpool. This recognition ensures that its light—spiritual, architectural, and civic—will continue to shine for generations to come.”
In a city famed for its twin cathedrals, both now Grade I listed, Liverpool stands uniquely poised to remind the world how architecture can speak not only of God, but of people, place, and the enduring pursuit of beauty and belonging.
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
