Gloucester cathedral main entrance.

This glass vestibule could be considered totally out of place in a religious building that has enjoyed uninterrupted worship for over 900 years. On the other hand it is a masterpiece of symbolism that is, in fact, perfectly placed. All this is my own interpretation. You may accept it or reject it as you wish.

From an atheistic extreme its modernity suggests "beam me up Scotty", or even a time machine to project us across the centuries as we enter. From a God fearing perspective however we find St. Peter's keys to Heaven and Hell before us as we pass the door between the mundane outer world and into the inner, spiritual world. It also evokes the Roman god of doorways - Janus - with two faces (one looking inwards and one looking outwards) who was the god of coming and going and Lord of Triple Time (past, present, future). Gloucester was a Roman city originally! But Janus was more than that: as keeper of the doorway he locked out the old and unlocked the new - it's where we got the word 'janitor' from and why January signifies a new year.

Going even deeper, one key is silver and unlocks the 'lesser mysteries' and one is gold, unlocking the 'greater mysteries' of antiquity. The two keys were appropriated from Janus by the early church and have been part of the various Papal armorial devices for centuries. Surprise - Gloucester Cathedral is actually, at its heart, a Roman Catholic monastery that escaped destruction by Henry VIII because it contains the tomb and remains of a King (Edward II). He simply 'Anglicised' it.

Recall the aim of the monastic life - to renounce earthly matters and devote one's self to God, who is eternal. Look at the shape of the glazed vestibule. Like a traditional font, similarly placed inside any church doorway, it is octagonal - midway between being a square (the traditional symbol of earth and matter) and a circle, symbolising eternity because it has no beginning nor end. Finally, it is quite transparent and, being inert matter, it is non judgemental and allows all to enter God's house and to take from the experience as much or as little as they wish.

And finally, finally, there is one more piece of modernist artwork, also made of glass that you encounter as you proceed - a beautiful 3D expression of a scallop shell from which is being poured cleansing, baptismal water. (I am standing next to it).