All Saints Cathedral / Republican Palace Museum

Commission date February 1906
Design Period February – November 1906
Inauguration January 26, 1912
Completion 1928
Start of site work Circa 1907
Classification Religion (REL) / Recreation (REC)

Owner(s)/patron(s)
General Reginald Wingate and Lady Wingate, then the Church subscribers
Architect
Robert Weir Schultz
Consulting engineer(s):
John Latimer (site supervisor), Ernest Gimson's workshops in England (woodwork), Mabel Esplin in England (glass design), Captain Done (Director of Military Works in the Sudan)
Building contractor(s)
Greek contractors

Although the cathedral might not fall into a typical modern style aesthetically, by virtue of the process of its creation, it certainly is a part of architectural modernity in Sudan. Novel design methods, enabled by newly accessible materials and ideas, created its distinct design. The cathedral refers to Gothic and Coptic traditions, resembling churches of the Arts and Crafts movement, whilst others describe it as an intersection of European and African design. In 1901, the then Governor of Sudan (General Reginald Wingate) and his wife (Lady Wingate) started a Khartoum Church Fund to construct a church that would soon become a cathedral. It was to serve the cathedral goers that, until then, congregated at the Governor’s Palace. All Saints Cathedral was constructed on the palace grounds and converted years later into a museum, the Republican Palace Museum. Initially, Lady Wingate administrated the fund until the arousal of some complaints from the cathedral’s congregation led her to step down and transform it into a project led by its subscribers. 

Ernest Richmond, an architect at the Department of Public Works Cairo, was first approached to design the cathedral in Byzantine. However, there was already a decision to find an architect based in London. Ernest Richmond recommended Robert Weir Schultz. In 1906 Schultz was commissioned to carry out the design, who began the project by inquiring about various issues such as the soil conditions, availability of materials, and local building customs. The result was a cruciform plan that consisted of a chancel, nave, and entrance along the primary east-west axis. On one side of the axis is the Gordon Memorial Chapel to the north, and across the axis, the Morning Chapel to the south. A Baptistry built in the tower protruded from the entrance lobby of the Church. In anticipation of sandstorms, two additional entrances were in the north and the south. Careful calculation went into the position and relation of the tower to the Church. The central axis is 54 meters long and 13 meters wide, with a clear space in the centre that is 8 meters long. The shorter south-north axis that crossed it is 19 meters long. The baptistry is 6 meters long and square in plan. There are 8 spiral staircases on the plan that provide access to an uninterrupted balcony that wraps around the perimeter of the building. The plan factored in the shading and penetration of daylight into the building. The drawings of the Church were highly detailed and included drawings in 1:50 and 1:10 scales providing intricate designs of every aspect of the cathedral down to the furniture before its completion.

Schultz started the project by inquiring about various issues, such as the soil conditions, availability of materials, and local building customs. One of the main challenges at the site was the Nile’s closeness and hence the soil’s stability, which was affected by the river’s annual flooding. The second challenge was the difficulty of raising funds for the cathedral. Therefore, the building was used before its completion. Only years after construction began would the roof and the tower be completed. The opening of the tower (completed in 1928) took place in 1931.

One issue was the architect’s lack of knowledge of the prices of the materials in the country, which differed from in Britain, where he usually worked. The building is primarily constructed of stone. A disagreement relating to the cost of stone led to the architect opening another quarry for stones and appointing John Latimer as a site supervisor and clerk but also supervisor of the material supply for the building. Captain Done, Director of Military Works in the Sudan, provided consultation related to the structure.

The stones were quarried from Jebel Auliai, twenty miles from the White Nile. Two colours were combined to create a contrasting effect: yellow and pale red. The arches pointed and supported vaults built from bricks. The external walls were made of rubble internally and externally featured plain stones without decoration, except for the carvings on the pillars and in the west gallery. Some geometrical patterns were used that are inspired by Coptic and Egyptian Saracenic architecture. A reinforced concrete raft foundation strengthened with inverted arches was used to overcome the issues related to the soil, and the building was raised 1.2 meters. 

Thermal insulation was achieved through the thickness of the walls. Furthermore, the roof featured a thermal gap between the external part of the roof and the inner vaults. The windows were glazed with thick green glazing to reduce solar glare. The lower windows were shaded to provide protection from the sun.

Schultz designed the furniture and fixtures, including a brass altar cross, candlesticks, vases, a dorsal, Bishop’s throne, a clergy desk, Governor General’s seat, a priest’s desk, choir stalls, altar rails and a lectern. They were made in England using hardwood delivered to London. Ernest Gimson’s workshop in England made the teak doors and the unpolished Cuban mahogany chancel fittings. Gimson influenced and refined the designs using his knowledge and extensive experience. Mabel Esplin designed the stained glass. Contractors from Greece were also involved in the construction process. 

The design represents the established presence of the community of Khartoum and, in particular, the cathedral subscribers. The cathedral had a dedication to Charles George Gordon. It, therefore, also symbolises a moment in the colonial history of both countries as the fallen General Gordon was honoured with a memorial chapel in the Church. 

There was a decision to demolish the tower sometime between the 1970s and 1990s. The cathedral ceased operations in the 1970s after a staged coup at its premises. After the closure of the cathedral in the 1970s, most of the art and craft fittings were moved and installed in another Anglican Church in Khartoum. It was re-opened again in the 1990s as a museum. It is once again temporarily closed due to its proximity to the Presidential Palace.

Rapporteur
Suha Hasan

Relevant Archives
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Sudan Archive at Durham University
Bishop Payne Library

Resources
David Ottewill. “Robert Weir Schultz (1860–1951) 1: An Arts and Crafts Architect.” Architectural History 22 (1979): 88-115.
Robin Cormack, Planning the colonial capital: Khartoum and New Delhi, in Rome and the Colonial City: Rethinking the Grid, ed. Sofia Greaves, Andrew Wallace-Hadrill.
J. Odra, The brief history of the Cathedral Church of All Saints, Khartoum. 
R. Cormack, ‘Unity out of diversity? The making of a modern Christian monument in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan’, in From Plunder to Preservation: Britain and the Heritage of Empire, c.1800-1940, ed. Astrid Swenson and Peter Mandler.
Samuel Grinsell. Urbanism, environment and the building of the Anglo-Egyptian Nile valley, 1880s-1920s. (PhD Thesis, The University of Edinburgh, 2020). 
Samuel Grinsell. ‘A Cathedral worthy of the British name and Nation’: Imperial space and the building of All Saints’ Cathedral, Khartoum. (MA Thesis, The University of Leicester, 2015). 
Robert Weir Schultz’ The Cathedral of All Saints, Khartoum, Sudan’. The Builder, 1916