h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Known locally as "Paddy's Wigwam", the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool is a much-maligned building. Many people think it is a hideous monstrosity, being ultra-modern and made of concrete, but I think it is absolutely stunning. The circular design is actually quite graceful, and the whole thing is topped by a magnificent crown of stained glass and metal rods.

Even those who hate the exterior usually love the interior. The circular design means that the central altar is easily busy, even when the cathedral is packed. The central crown means that when the sun shines, the altar is bathed in gorgeous deep blue light from the stained glass, and the view from the altar up the crown is awesome. A Mass in the Cathedral is truly an amazing experience (although the sheer beauty of the place is rather distracting).

In addition to all this, the Cathedral also has some great crypts, which were part of what was going to be a much larger cathedral (sadly abandoned due to lack of funds).

All in all, although just about everyone else who has ever seen the cathedral will disagree with me, the Metropolitan Cathedral (at least, the interior), is truly a beautiful place.