Six degrees of separation

Surprisingly, this building is St. Bride's RC Church in East Kilbride, built between 1957 and 1964.  It is an A listed building, designed by Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, a Scottish architectural firm famous for their application of modernism in churches.  The church is recognised as an amazing piece of contemporary ecclesiastical architecture and received the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) bronze medal for architecture in 1964, for the area of the Glasgow Institute of Architects. The expressionistic design of the interior of the church is enhanced by the dramatic chiaroscuro effect (to do with light and shade) of the interior, which has Baroque overtones.  The church has many odd features within its architectural structure from the lighting of the sanctuary to its externally imposing brick mass (no pun intended).  Until fairly recently a 90 ft campanile towered above the church, but was dismantled as it had become unsafe.  The church itself and accompanying building are about to undergo major refurbishing.  In 1969, Jack Coia, the only member of the company still living, was awarded the Royal Gold Medal for architecture by RIBA.  

And to the 6 degrees of separation.   In the early 1990s J and I went to China to take a river cruise on the Yangtze’s Three Gorges before construction on the Dam began.  There were 25 British people among the passengers on the boat and one of them was the widow of Jack Coia, who quickly introduced herself to us when she learned that we lived in East Kilbride.  Small world!     

 

 

 

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