Ninian Comper - Reimagining the Modern Gothic Church

Overview

What you will study

Hailed as the last great Gothic Revivalist, he was celebrated by taste-makers such as John Summerson and John Betjeman despite his rejection of International Modernism. He believed instead that churches should be timeless, welcoming every kind of created beauty.

A designer of textiles, stained glass and decorative schemes alongside architectural design, his liturgical reimaginings of existing buildings such as Wymondham Abbey and Pusey House completely transformed these churches into gilded visions of Pre-Reformation splendour. New buildings designed by Comper, including St Mary the Virgin, Wellingborough and St John’s Home, Cowley, reflect his own unique architectural and liturgical philosophies.

His church fittings and textiles, are still produced today and continue to shape the aesthetic form of both Anglican and Roman Catholic worship in Britain, appearing in national ceremonies such as Royal Weddings and Coronations.

Speakers at the Ninian Comper - Reimagining the Modern Gothic Church course offered by University of Oxford will explore topics including his early work, his textiles, his patrons, his design philosophy and his legacy.