Four wing building would

cost £750,000 THIS very imposing building, at present the dream — on paper — of architects, painters, stained-glass workers, sculptors and others, may one day be a reality and become a Catholic City Centre for London.
"We have worked out the
scheme," says one of the principal planners, because we believe that such a Catholic Centre in the heart of 'London might have an incalculable effect upon national life while solving at the same time many of the difficulties which at present cripple so many 'central' Catholic activities ".
ARTISTS AT SPODE, HOUSE
T was last Easter that the artists gathered at Spode House for the Visual Arts Week. They arrived prepared to combine their efforts to produce a building of use to Catholic life in England and at the same time representative of the best trends in modern art.
Their achievement in six days could be described as phenomenal. They had roughed out a complicated four-winged building round an inviting courtyard with most of the needs of such a centre provided for.
The plan may be described in general as a main block supported on the one side by a lower wing to house the central library, on the other side by a raised gallery facing the street and supported by columns through which passers by would be invited into the courtyard and entrance. Opposite the main block would be another for the main hall and stage.
The main block is planned nine storeys high, placed at right angles to the street. On the ground fool there would be a bookstore with windows and doors on to the street and surmounted by a vast crucifix which would stand out front the wall i such a way as to be seen from a distance by those coming down the street.
'there would he an entrance hall with enquiry office, lifts, etc., and a room for the use of the Catholic Enquiry Centre has been suggested. Planned also are lecture rooms, cloakrooms and storage for chairs and other equipment. On the second floor of the main block there would be a chapel designed according to what might be called " the liturgical thinking of today " by the craftsmen who supply the altar, seating and windows.
Here, also, are smaller lecture rooms with adjustable partitions acoustically designed for Guild meetings, etc., and nearby a kitchen.
In this block also will be found the offices and record accommodation for Catholic societies and on the top three or four floors a hostel for Catholics visiting London for conferences, congresses, etc. It would contain bedrooms, canteen, kitchen, sitting and writing rooms and staff accommodation.
By this main block would be a three-storey structure for priest. warden, etc., over garages.
The block opposite has on the ground floor a restaurant for 180 people with kitchens and bar. The hall above is designed for 500 with foyer, stage and dressing rooms.
The restaurant and the hall would he a source of revenue to the whole establishment as it is designed for a central position in the Westminster area so that it could be used by others when not needed for Catholic purposes.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the whole idea is the open, colonnade supporting the gallery connecting the two main blocks and forming the front of the Centre.
The gallery. — with a large amount of glass — is designed for exhibitions with properly directed roof lighting for paintings. etc. This is intended to act as an open display both to the street and the courtyard. with mosaic panels dividing the glass partitions.
COURTYARD
All the public accommodation looks on to the courtyard. There is a public entrance to the main block and the library from it and in hot weather the restaurant could use part of it.
It is large enough to hold a gathering of several thousand people. The chapel has a door on to a small balcony above the courtyard from which Benediction could be given, and possibly Mass said before a large assembly, as well as providing an open-air pulpit. This is a general idea of the
project. The ideas are to be further developed at the next Visual Arts week at Spode House —the Dominican study and retreat centre during Low Week 1958.
The hostel section containing 40-50 bedrooms to accommodate 100-150 people would be available for young Catholics arriving from the provinces or overseas. lhey would have temporary lodging and make immediate Catholic contacts. Some of the rooms might be lettable as bed-sitting rooms for city workers
The obvious stumbling block is finance. A general estimate of the scheme including the site put the figure at about three-quarters of a million pounds. The group who worked out the scheme believe that a large Catholic concern. or a group of Catholic firms, could "profitably" invest their money in such a concern.
The whole scheme together with an architect's model was presented to Archbishop Godfrey of Westminster within two weeks of the Arts Week at Spode House.
This was a gesture of hope on the part of the group, a hope which will continue to inspire them next Low Week when artists of all sorts will he welcome at Spode House to contribute their ideas on the project.