The architectural style of the bell tower is predominantly late Gothic, with little or no visual cues from other styles of architecture. The gallery (tunnel) that leads into the base of the tower however, is done with Romanesque style arches and barrel vaults, which gives it a more earthly feel than the tower itself.
The Tower Gallery can be used for a number of things, and can often be seen being utilized for university displays for visitors. The Tower Gallery is 365 feet long representing the Gregorian year, and the binding of modernity to the of the past. There are smaller side galleries that are used primarily for the art of aging cheese, but for the most part these are not accessible by the public.
The tower itself is constructed predominantly of black granite. The exterior will be mostly Korpilahden Musta (from Finland), Hohwald (from Germany), and Lanhelin (from France). Lanhelin granite is of a grey color, and is used less than the other two black granites. The underground gallery that leads into the base of the structure is done primarily in Alberga (from Sweden), which is a reddish grey color of granite. I've included picture samples of all four in order below:
The tower itself is 377 ft. tall, making it appear as a truly powerful and ethereal looking structure. The height is inspired by the number of days in the average intercalary year in the Julian Calendar. Since the tower is a mostly medieval structure, it seems appropriate to use the intercalary year is a model, vs. the average year in Gregorian time.
The appearance of the tower is inspired from several historic buildings (specifically their bell towers, or front facades). Some of these structures include the Notre Dame de Strasbourg, York Minster, Cologne Cathedral, and the Duomo di Milano.
To reach the top of the tower, there are two narrow spiral staircases built into the stone. When tourists are allowed within the tower, one staircase is used for the ascent and the other is used for descent in order to create an efficient flow of foot traffic. The roof/roof facade is quite similar to that of the bell towers of York Minster. Unlike York Minster, the top of the tower does not have one set of windows, but three on each face (much like Notre Dame de Strasbourg).
The tower has a number of bells. The largest bell weighs in at around 11 tons. There are a number of smaller 3 ton bells, and then a fixture of much smaller chiming bells which are used more for playing music. The smallest of the bells are played using a clavier, while the large bells are done in a more typical fashion.
Tower Dimensions:
-77 ft. wide, each side
-377 ft. tall
The Tower Gallery:
- 365 ft. long
-50 ft. wide
-17.5 ft. tall
The appearance of the tower is inspired from several historic buildings (specifically their bell towers, or front facades). Some of these structures include the Notre Dame de Strasbourg, York Minster, Cologne Cathedral, and the Duomo di Milano.
To reach the top of the tower, there are two narrow spiral staircases built into the stone. When tourists are allowed within the tower, one staircase is used for the ascent and the other is used for descent in order to create an efficient flow of foot traffic. The roof/roof facade is quite similar to that of the bell towers of York Minster. Unlike York Minster, the top of the tower does not have one set of windows, but three on each face (much like Notre Dame de Strasbourg).
The tower has a number of bells. The largest bell weighs in at around 11 tons. There are a number of smaller 3 ton bells, and then a fixture of much smaller chiming bells which are used more for playing music. The smallest of the bells are played using a clavier, while the large bells are done in a more typical fashion.
Tower Dimensions:
-77 ft. wide, each side
-377 ft. tall
The Tower Gallery:
- 365 ft. long
-50 ft. wide
-17.5 ft. tall
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