Short Biography
Paul Omphalos was the secret architect of Metropolitan’s United Church. Omphalos died young and quite mysteriously. Legend has it that he was decapitated.
Full Biography
Apollo “Paul” Omphalos was born in Piraeus, Greece to a fisherman father and a shopkeep mother in 1922. The arrival of Apollo into their lives forced the couple to take a chance and leave their beloved homeland behind for the dreary United Kingdom. It was in Glasgow where the new family settled, his father taking up work as a fish monger (knowing the trade so well) and his mother remaining at home.
Something about Apollo began to blossom in those early years. He had always drawn as a child but his new surroundings began to show their influence early on. Rather than draw animals, cars and people, young Apollo focused on buildings. Not just their structures but the minutest details, things other children would never consider, let alone concern themselves with. Unfortunately it led to “Paul” (as he was then known by his teachers and fellow students) receiving reprimands as his attention was no longer focused on his school work. Paul struggled for several years in both grade school and high school finally finding his footing in his last years of high school. He immediately applied for university, hoping to get into Cambridge, unfortunately due to his background, both ethnic and financial, his entry was declined. He was however accepted at the University of London. It was here that Paul personally took a turn for the different.
Although initially exclusively interested in architecture, Paul surprised his parents when he began to speak of his growing interest in religion, specifically the works of Alistair Crowley. His studies were limited to conception of buildings; however his buildings began to tell stories. His teachers became concerned and contacted Paul’s parents in his 3rd year when he was no longer following the traditional shapes and concepts being taught in class. Although his work was very evidently skilled it was far too avant garde for practical use. Some professors and students alike began to gossip that Paul had begun contact with Crowley himself, projecting the rules and tenants upon his work.
Paul would leave school early, never fully receiving his degree; however it seemed not to affect a demand for his work. He moved abruptly to North America initially stopping in Detroit, then moving to Cleveland, Rochester, Buffalo and settling in Toronto. Throughout his stays he built several structures, in some circumstances houses in others what seemed to monuments or statues for captains of industry. All the while he became increasingly secretive severing all ties with his parents in Scotland keeping only the company of a translator. His wealth grew significantly and he began to buy plots of land specifically in his home country of Greece and in China.
In his last years he became incredibly reclusive only travelling to sites at the beginning and at the end of the building process, often in dark clothing, sun glasses and a fedora. He stopped speaking all together and allowed his translator to do the speaking and directing for him. His final two pieces were located in Toronto, one in a west end residential area, the other located in an east end industrial area. These are regarded as prime examples of his work. They differ greatly from the buildings that surround him and look to be done in almost amateurish manners. Both hold secret rooms, unconventional size hallways, designs of ceilings, trim around doors and such bordering on the bizarre. Critics have stated that some of the trim holds esoteric and religious symbolism. Psychics have claimed that these structures hold great power and sinister spirits. What makes these particularly ‘Omphalos’ is the fact that years after his death, both sites were scenes of ghastly crimes.