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Tributes paid to Clifton Cathedral architect Ron Weeks
Ron Weeks was responsible for one of Bristol’s most recognisable landmarks.
He was the lead architect of Clifton Cathedral, the Brutalist building constructed in the leafy suburbs of BS8 between 1969 and 1973, which was the last major cathedral to be built in Britain.
The Grade II* listed Roman Catholic Cathedral Church of SS Peter & Paul was designed by Ron alongside ES Jennett and Antoni Poremba of the Percy Thomas Partnership.
Laing staff in the Clifton Cathedral site office examining an architect’s model of the cathedral. Photo: Historic England, John Laing Photographic Collection
Clifton Cathedral paid tribute to Ron in a tweet on Tuesday: “Sad to hear of the passing, this morning, of cathedral architect Ron Weeks. We offer our prayers and condolences to his family and thank him for his gift to us RIP”
Speaking to the BBC on the 30th anniversary of the cathedral’s completion in 2003, Ron said: “I think internally it probably is the most forward-designed church following on from Vatican Two in the 1960s.
“This was the first building after the counsel and it reflected the direction the Church elders decided it should take. Many people said it was ugly and certainly it was unusual in its shape.
“Some people were saying, ‘It’ll never be like the old pro-cathedral’, others said, ‘We’ve got to move on and this is new and exciting’.
“It won a Concrete Society award at the time and RIBA gave an award – a bronze medal for the region I think.”
Purcell completed a three-year renovation of the brutalist Clifton Cathedral in 2018 – photo: Phil Boorman
Clifton Cathedral was the last major cathedral to be built in Britain photo: Phil Boorman
The cathedral has been critically acclaimed for its ‘theatre-like’ composition and irregular, elongated hexagonal plan – photo: Phil Boorman
Main photo by Phil Boorman
Read more: Touring Clifton Cathedral with the men who built it
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