Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: The Cathedral of Christ the Light: The Making of a 21st Century Cathedral
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Architecture
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill: The Cathedral of Christ the Light: The Making of a 21st Century Cathedral Details
Completed in 2008, the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, is one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings of recent times. Its design, by Craig W. Hartman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), combines the early Christian symbol of the fish with an innovative structure made of glass, wood and concrete. A glazed, bivalve exterior envelops the building, while a layer of fritted glass diffuses light and heat. Inside, the vaulted wooden ceiling soars 130 feet upwards, where an oculus opens out to the sky. The unique Omega window behind the altar was created with the help of new technology developed specifically for the cathedral: an image of the Romanesque relief of Christ from the tympanum of Chartres Cathedral was digitized and rendered as laser-perforated holes in an aluminum panel, creating a 60-foot pixilated image. With 150 color reproductions, this volume examines Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s masterpiece.
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Reviews
This book fall short for me. I think this book should address the reason why the original architect Santiago Calatrava whom originally won the competition was rejected and why the church went for their second choice to engage the architects Owings & Merrill. No explanation was given. It would have been nice to see references to Calatrava's original design instead of a bunch of photos referring to the construction of the second choice.
