Coventry Cathedral for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings. The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by Elizabeth II on 23 March 1956. The unconventional spire (known as a "flèche") is tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing Commander John Dowling in April 1962. The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem", composed for the occasion, was premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration. Coventry's modernist design caused much discussion, but on opening to the public it
Grade I listed buildings in Coventry 14th century. The oldest is St. Mary's Priory and cathedral, now a ruin, which was founded in 1043. Several other buildings in this list date from the 12th century. The youngest Grade I listed building in the city is the new cathedral, built in the 1950s to replace the city's second cathedral which was built in the 14th-century and elevated to cathedral status in 1918. Like much of the city centre, the city's second cathedral was almost completely destroyed in the Coventry Blitz in November 1940, and the new cathedral was built next to the ruin, which was preserved. A