Colossal Cathedrals in 3D

Located in Midtown Manhattan, St Patrick’s Cathedral is a 19th century Gothic Revival landmark surrounded by a sea of skyscrapers and 21st century structures. Building work on the cathedral started in 1858 but was halted by the American Civil War, before being completed in 1879.

The cathedral is clad in marble and has dozens of stained-glass windows to let in the light. Its main entrance, located on 5th Avenue, is flanked by twin spires, both of which are around 100m tall. Its enormous footprint takes up a full city block and the cathedral can accommodate an incredible 19,000 people.  

Barcelona Cathedral is a colossal Gothic structure located close to the ancient heart of the city. Built primarily between the 13th and 15th centuries, the cathedral was given an intricate and highly decorative neo-Gothic façade in the late nineteenth century. Dedicated to Saint Eulalia of Barcelona, the patron saint of the city, the cathedral is known for the large number of gargoyles adorning its roof. 

If you explore the cathedral, you’ll find a secluded cloister containing 13 white geese. These geese are there to represent the age Saint Eulalia was when she was martyred by occupying Roman forces. Today, Barcelona Cathedral welcomes around 1 million tourists a year. However, with 4.5 million visiting the nearby Sagrada Familia, the cathedral is fast losing its position as the most famous religious structure in the city.  

Like a lot of cathedrals, the Catedral Metropolitana in Mexico City was built on the site of an earlier place of worship, in this case, a sacred Aztec precinct. The cathedral sits on the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución, commonly known as the Zócalo, in the heart of the Mexican capital.

Construction work on the cathedral started in 1573, soon after the Spanish conquest of Mexico. However, the building wasn’t finished until 240 years later in 1813. Thanks to the duration of the build, virtually all famous Mexican architects and artists worked on the project at some stage, making it a focal point for the civic, as well as spiritual life of the city.

The most recent, and arguably the most eye-catching, cathedral on our list, Brasilia Cathedral was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and completed in May 1970. The hyperboloid shape is formed by 16 concrete pillars, each of which weighs in at 90 tons. Able to hold up to 4,000 people, and visited by around 1,000,000 tourists every year, it’s one of the most important sights in the city.