Buttress Architects | St Marie’s Cathedral

St Marie’s is Sheffield’s Roman Catholic Cathedral built in 1845, to replace a smaller chapel established in the city centre after the Catholic emancipation. The design of this Grade II listed building was based on a 14th century church and mixes both Victorian gothic and classic elements.
Nicholas Rank, Director of Buttress, has been the Cathedral Architect since 2004, working closely with the Cathedral to establish a strategic framework for maintenance, design and development. Included in the list of works to date have been the quinquennial inspections, re-roofing of the tower, creation of new visitor facilities and most recently the major reordering of the interior of the church.

The reordering creates a new liturgical focus and creates a space for worship that is more fitting of the cathedral status granted in 1980. A new sandstone and slate inlay floor was laid with underfloor heating, the decorative scheme was restored and a new font was designed that allows for adult baptism. New congregational furniture has been crafted and a new altar, lighting and confessional created for the Cathedral.
Finally, an unused alleyway between the Cathedral and adjacent property has been enclosed with a contemporary, faceted glazed roof to create a new porch and accessible entrance to the Cathedral.