Restoration and completion
In the 1930s, fearing that the foundation was insufficient for the projected size and weight of the structure, workers halted construction. The spires were left unfinished and the exterior brick work was left undressed. In the mid 1990s, an ambitious plan of restoration and completion was carried out. The 1990s plan included the following:
Once the brickwork was restored and completed, the decision was made to leave the exterior undressed. The building's exposed-brick exterior is thus unusual to some extent, and it makes La Plata Cathedral resemble the brick Gothic or Neogothic style of many churches in northern Europe, such as Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden, St. John's Church, Helsinki in Finland and Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark. The refurbishment was inaugurated to the public in the year 2000.
With its towers rising 367 feet (112 m), it is among the six tallest churches in the Americas.
Cologne Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. At 157 m (515 ft), the cathedral is currently the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church in the world. It is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires. The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest façade of any church in the world. The choir has the largest height to width ratio, 3.6:1, of any medieval church.
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The cathedral was constructed from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries, with the principal work done in the fourteenth century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese, was completed in 1448. In the late nineteenth century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches. The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical.
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are typically built of stonework or brickwork, or else of timber structure with metal cladding, ceramic tiling, shingles, or slates on the exterior.
La Plata is the capital city of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. According to the 2010 census [INDEC], it has a population of 793,144 and its metropolitan area, the Greater La Plata, has 987,294 inhabitants.
Mercedes is a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located 100 km west from Buenos Aires and 30 km southwest of Luján. It is the administrative headquarters for the district (partido) of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district. The Catedral Basílica de Mercedes-Luján, located in the city, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mercedes-Luján.
The Cathedral Church of St. James is an Anglican cathedral in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the location of the oldest congregation in the city, with the parish being established in 1797. The cathedral, with construction beginning in 1850 and opening for services on June 19, 1853, was one of the largest buildings in the city at that time. It was designed by Frederick William Cumberland and is a prime example of Gothic Revival architecture.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos is a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary located in the historical center of the Spanish city of Burgos. Its official name is Santa Iglesia Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa María de Burgos.
Santa María de Regla de León Cathedral is a Catholic church, the episcopal see of the diocese of León in north-western Spain, consecrated under the name of the Virgin Mary. It was the first monument declared by the Royal Order of Spain on August 28, 1844
The Cathedral of the Savior or La Seo de Zaragoza is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain. It is part of the World Heritage Site Mudéjar Architecture of Aragon.
The Church of St. Nicholas was a Gothic Revival cathedral that was formerly one of the five Lutheran Hauptkirchen in the city of Hamburg, Germany. The original chapel, a wooden building, was completed in 1195. It was replaced by a brick church in the 14th century, which was eventually destroyed by fire in 1842. The church was completely rebuilt by 1874, and was the tallest building in the world from 1874 to 1876. It was designed by the English architect George Gilbert Scott.
French Gothic architecture is an architectural style which emerged in France in 1140, and was dominant until the mid-16th century. The most notable examples are the great Gothic cathedrals of France, including Notre-Dame Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral, and Amiens Cathedral. Its main characteristics were the search for verticality, or height, and the innovative use of the rib vault and flying buttresses and other architectural innovations to distribute the weight of the stone structures to supports on the outside, allowing unprecedented height and volume, The new techniques also permitted the addition of larger windows, including enormous stained glass windows, which filled the cathedrals with light. The French style was widely copied in other parts of northern Europe, particularly Germany and England. It was gradually supplanted as the dominant French style in the mid-16th century by French Renaissance architecture.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a gothic revival Catholic cathedral located in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico. The towers reach a height of 107.5 meters, making it the tallest church building in Mexico.
Palencia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in Palencia, Spain. It is dedicated to Saint Antoninus of Pamiers.
Pedro Benoit was an Argentine architect, engineer, and urbanist best known for designing the layout of the city of La Plata.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is an historic cathedral at 307 Congress Streets in Portland, Maine that serves as seat of the Diocese of Portland. The pastor is Bishop Robert Deeley, and the rector is Father Seamus Griesbach. The church, an imposing Gothic Revival structure built in 1866–69, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is the tallest building in Portland and the third tallest in Maine.
La Plata City Hall is the executive seat of government of the city of La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina.
Comodoro Rivadavia Cathedral is the cathedral church of Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Province, Argentina. It is situated at the intersection of Avenida Belgrano and Rivadavia. The cathedral is the city's main Roman Catholic church, serving the Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia, part of the Archdiocese of Bahía Blanca. It was inaugurated by Bishop Moure Argimiro on November 26, 1978, and consecrated on June 9, 1979, by Monsignor Mariano Pérez, first Bishop of Comodoro Rivadavia. The building was constructed in Gothic-Modern style; some elements, such as a stained glass window, were brought from Turin, Italy, in 1959.
The Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Cecilia is a Roman Catholic church building in Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Gothic cathedrals and churches are religious buildings created in Europe between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive use of stained glass to fill the interiors with light. They were the tallest and largest buildings of their time and the most prominent examples of Gothic architecture. The appearance of the Gothic cathedral was not only a revolution in architecture; it also introduced new forms in decoration, sculpture, and art.
View of the lateral buttressing
Detail of the ornaments of the main entrance added during the 1998 restoration
