Coventry Cathedral

Dalle-de-verre had already been used in the Chapel of Unity in Coventry Cathedral (1957-62) by Margaret Traherne,^[i] which Norris could easily have visited (a mere 8-9 miles away from Leamington). The theme of the Holy Spirit is clear in both Churches. Coventry’s architect Basil Spence declared the Chapel of Unity the “Chapel of the Spirit”, which contains symbols of the Chi Rho, Alpha, and the Omega. Our Lady’s is stylistically similar with these same symbols. The Chi Rho iconography is above the Alpha and Omega - the first letters of Christ’s name in Greek. The symbolic motifs in Coventry decorate the floor, whereas in Lillington they are elevated and embellish the Eastern wall. The East wall in both Churches are unusually not glazed (Graham Sutherland’s tapestry at Coventry), demonstrating the importance of glass in directing light to the altar. Coventry also has angling of the Clerestory lights in the side walls of the nave, only fully visible from the liturgical east. The Churches are additionally made from the medium of concrete, similar to that of the surrounding secular architecture of the area which creates architectural consistency, as its materiality connects the secular and religious together.

^[i] Louise Campbell, Coventry Cathedral: Art and Architecture in Post-War Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996), 262.