The book examines the genesis of one of the most important works of post-war British architecture. Using original documents and drawings, it provides a case-study of a building in which a significant role was allocated to works of art, and in doing so illuminates the creative process of both artist and architect.

The design of the cathedral - a building which symbolised both past traditions and future aspirations - is discussed in the context of the wider debates of the day on architecture and reconstruction. The project to build a new cathedral at Coventry is related to those at Guildford and Liverpool and also to the great church-building schemes of post-war Europe.

. Louise Campbell discusses Basil Spence's developing design - and its transformation into a cathedral building - in relation to the fast pace of artistic developments in the 1950s and 60s. She analyses the different priorities of the architectural profession, the clergy, and the city; her book provides a study in the history of patronage as well as of architecture.