This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Frederick Gibberd’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool. Gibberd was one of Britain’s most influential architects in the Modern Movement and the cathedral was one of several religious buildings that he completed alongside contributions to social housing and town planning. Consecrated on 14 May 1967, the radical structure reimagined the site of modern worship while sensitively preserving Edward Lutyens’ crypt and key aspects of Lutyens’ design.

Celebrated for emphasising the communal aspect of worship, the cathedral was designed around a circular plan that placed the altar at the centre of the sanctuary. The concrete frame was clad in milky-grey Portland stone and remains an iconic landmark.

Originally commissioned for the cathedral’s inaugural Mass in 1967, a composition by electronic artist and ‘musique concréte’ pioneer, Pierre Henry, will be performed in the cathedral to mark the occasion.

Read a personal account of Sir Frederick Gibberd, written by his grandson Matt Gibberd – Founding Director of The Modern House – here.

Discover more in our Directory of Architects and Designers.

Book tickets to Pierre Henry: The Liverpool Mass.