The last time I went to this place — 2 years ago
St. Paul’s Cathedral is beautiful. It’s massive. It’s beautiful and massive. Then there’s the staircase leading to the Whispering Gallery, Stone Gallery, and Golden Gallery. This part of St. Paul’s interprets beauty and mass in different ways.
It’s an honest display of utility through the centuries. Cold stone walls combined with stuctural 2×4 construction house gritty iron staircases lit by 20th century flourescent lights. All serve their function. That is to elevate travelers high above London.
Sure you can let a plastic pod at London Eye whisk you high above London without a single step required on your part. However, what the journey up St. Paul’s dome does is entitle the participant to experience just how far they are traveling by forcing them to circle round and round a twirling iron staircase (even better when it’s raining and the steps are wet like the day we were there), and climb up winding stone steps with mysterious doors along the way.
Most doors are locked. Almost all doors are closed. Rarely will you see an open door. I did. I thought it was the door to the Whispering Gallery. My wife and I were the first ones to walk up to the Whispering Gallery that day. (I was about 30 steps ahead of her). When I walked through the doorway, I saw an organ keyboard command central thing. Cool. And I walked a little further and saw some sort of board room setting complete with a simple and long table surrounded by old, rickety chairs. It was spellbinding. Do I belong here? I quickly turned around and returned to the staircase.
This photograph was taken from the veranda at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Dig that space between the light fixture and St. Paul’s dome.
You can buy a copy of this photo (and more St. Paul’s photos):
http://unlikelymoose.com/art/photograph/london/st_pauls_cathedral/01_6902.html
