Cathedral of Christ the LightCompany: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Industry: Architecture, Engineering, & Construction
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill illuminates the simplicity of light in a complex form. Conceptual DesignNatural light is the central feature of the first great cathedral of the 21st century. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) wanted to explore how they could use natural light and warm wood in new ways. Door HandlesThe door handles were custom designed to resemble fish, an important emblem of the Christian faith. End-Wall DesignTo maximize and heighten the Cathedral’s interaction with light, SOM designed an interior shell with wood latticework in warm tones and a metal wall with 94,423 perforations depicting an image of Jesus. ConstructionThe outermost glass skin of the cathedral is supported by a latticework of Douglas fir. The wood’s inherent flexibility makes the structure as earthquake resistant as steel, at a lower cost.
|
)
