Imagine a woven wooden basket that’s 120 feet high, broad at the base and curving gently inward as it rises.
Now imagine that basket wrapped in opaque glass. In daylight the glass is a veil, shrouding what’s within; but at night, light seeps out through the basket and the veil, glowing for all to see.
No, no, no I really don’t want to imagine that it might give me nightmares.
That’s the ethereal promise of the design for Oakland’s Christ the Light Cathedral, which marked its ceremonial groundbreaking Saturday. For today’s Bay Area, it’s a uniquely adventurous work of architecture — and the only high-profile one that isn’t by a globe-trotting celebrity architect.
The design for the cathedral and its 2 1/2-acre complex alongside Lake Merritt is by Craig Hartman of the San Francisco office of Skidmore Owings & Merrill. Instead of traditional cathedral architecture, majestic and strong —
evoked so well in the recent Los Angeles cathedral designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo — Hartman offers a vision of warm, delicate layers that hint at the mysteries of things unseen. [Source]
So if Oakland and L.A. were having an ugly cathedral contest, who would win?
Based on the aerial view Instead of cruciform we have football form and I have to admit that this design makes me call out Hail Mary!
The sensation will be one of being surrounded by blinds, not a solid wall — each plank set at an angle, with open space between each one. And the planks will serve the same purpose as blinds, letting in sunlight without the glint of direct rays.
Ah that explains it, a case of the blinds leading the blind.
So the outside looks like something from Krypton in the Superman Movie and the inside is strait out of Woody Allen’s Sleeper. It looks like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters exploded inside. Now I am not one to automatically equate modern with ugly and I think modern structures can be built with beauty that point us to God. In my opinion this is not an example of that, though I would defer to Erik Keilholtz on this.
I think my original opinion when the contract was first awarded still applies in that the architect said that architecture is "to inspire and ennoble the human spirit.” Possibly that might be true, but that is not the point of reference in building a church. Having our spirit ennobled sounds to much like the modern version of self-esteem and the point of worship is not to esteem ourselves but God.
Update:
A reader informed me about one of the designs that lost out by Domiane Forte, a graduate student of architecture at Notre Dame
No wonder it didn’t win – it actually looks like a church and we can’t have that you know.
82 comments
I know where he got the idea for this monstrosity. He took his plastic K-mart wast basket, turned it upside down, and “VOO-WAH-LAH” Cathedral!!!
Holy s— *covers her mouth before saying something profane*
Just WHAT is wrong with these people’s sense of aesthecism? And what’s this joke about the center altar? Where’s the tabernacle? (Wait, don’t tell me, is probably outside this ‘church’)
Is it my imagination, or the church’s inside looks a lot like the Jedi Council in Star Wars, except bigger and with more seats, and with more of a ‘galactic’ feeling to it? This could very well be a spaceship’s control room as well…
“So if Oakland and L.A. were having an ugly cathedral contest, who would win?”
I don’t know, but the number of losers cannot be counted.
I like that interior. The focus will truly be on the Sacrifice that is re-presented to and for us in the Eucharist. I do have concerns over the unknown location of the tabernacle and the cross without a corpus (a processional crucifix can work here). I also don’t like chairs; maybe they will be changed to pews.
I still think the edifice of the LA cathedral is ugl, though.
It made me think of an upside down laundry basket (and I think these guys are being taken to the cleaners)…
The round Church doesn’t focus the community on the Holy Eucharist. It closes it in on itself. The priest becomes the focus of attention. He is “performing” for the community. The traditional cruciform structure gives the proper sense of corporate sacrifice. The community is not there to watch the priest do something. They are there to join the priest in offering to God an eternal sacrifice. Most of the Mass is spent addressing God himself. The Church should express this reality. We are addressing God, not the altar. The only time we focus on the altar is when the Host is consecrated; and there is no need for a center altar in that case, because the priest holds the host up (during the consecration itself, and then during the agnus dei).
I find Mass at churches “in the round” mightily distracting… I really want to pay attention to Our Lord, but with so many other faces staring back at me from across the way, it’s difficult. Backs of heads (a la rectangular church, all pews in straight rows) are far less distracting.
So where’s the stand for the overhead projector?
News roundup: Catching Up with Full Circle
Lots of things I failed to blog about in recent days … here they are, in no particular order
New cathedral in…
At least Robert Schuller could be a con-celebrant if they’re in a pinch… he’d feel right at home.
Oh..but this “cathedral” will be just dandy for continued leotardation!
Here’s a design that lost: Oakland Cathedral.
Did you know that it has a Retractable Roof? I wonder if people will be tailgating before services?
Am I the only one who thinks this looks like the smokestack on a nuclear power plant?
It reminds me inexplicably of the unfinished Death Star in Return of the Jedi.
This “thing” is just plain spooky! Ugly doesn’t capture its alien environment. I expect that L. Ron Hubbard will appear or Edgar Cayce. Possibly Elvis.
I would forbid anyone under eighteen from entering this thing in order to prvent nightmares and lifelong psychological damage.
As a matter of fact, I will now sprinkle my monitor with holy water.
This is going to be blinding in the day. I know, my high school had a similarly blinding circle of glass design, even after they painted the glass with black to cut down on the greenhouse effect.
It was originally designed to have clear glass as well. Here’s what it looks like now:
http://www1.priory.org/
I think it’s a very nice looking, modern-designed, office building. Or maybe a museum of some sort.
Wait, a cathedral? *faints*
Oh dear!
Does Bishop Vigneron know about this? I would hope he would have the sense to notice that the tailor (er architect) is trying to sell him a new “suit of clothes.” This is the ugliest thing I have seen in a while (perhaps even worse than the RajMahal/TajMahoney in L.A.)
Though not a church or a chapel, when Mundelein Seminary was seeking to build a new library, they first proposed a steel and glass structure (to blend in perfectly with the early american Georgian Architecture of the rest of the campus!) An influential donor/benefactor managed to help the administration in changing their mind and they built a worthy building in the end. Unfortunately, I guess this is a settled issue! The seating in the round is a disaster especially! Maybe they will suspend the tabernacle from the cieling above the altar! ugh.
Does anyone else see a certain “feminine” aspect to this failed design? As for the sifi angle, take a look at the crashed starship in Alien where the eggs were encountered…
Hi,
It’s another Crystal Cathedral. I could see the thing from my kitchen window when I lived in California. It’s a BIG bird averary. No kidding, it’s a hot house with a lot of birds in it.
AWEFUL!
John
Yeah, the Cathedral does kinda look like a vulva.
This may be appropriate. The Church is both Mother and Bride. I would argue that there are at least a couple of sexual imageries present in the symbolism and rituals of the Church; for instance, the blessing of the holy water font with the paschal candle at the Easter Vigil.
I find this rather beautiful; not at all perverted.
Still, the Death Star–I mean, Cathedral!–is still a monstrosity.
Funny! I remember a similarly beautiful classic design which bid on the L.A. Cathedral job and was rejected (that architect was also from Notre Dame!) It seems the only good coming from Notre Dame is the school of architecture, and many bishops don’t pay any attention to that!
Well, the good thing is that if the exterior ever needs renovations, they’ve already got the scaffolding set up. As for the interior, the planet Krypton sets from the 1978 Superman: The Movie come to mind, only larger and “more airy.” Ain’t nobody gonna get claustrophobic in there!
I thought it was a joke at first… Yikes.
Is there some sort of restriction against stone or marble nowadays?
What’s with all the lighting rods lining the top of the building? Are thunderstorms a big problem in Oakland?
Well, at least half the people at Mass will be facing in the same direction as the priest, regardless of where he stands. So will the priest have to keep running around and around the altar to keep from “having his back to the people”? Or what? (Maybe they could have the whole central circular section rotate like a giant lazy Susan?)
I just hope no one goes snow-blind in there.
But if it was a church that looked like a church, people might mistake it for a church and not a faith community 😉
Lord, don’t people enjoy havingn things to look at?? you know like a variety in the archetecture, decoration, or at least COLOR SCHEME? schnikies.
Quick, somebody call the Papal Nuncio!
Why a basket? Doesn’t St. Paul tell us not to keep the light of Christ under a bushel?
Please… God…. make it stop….
Actually… I think it’s quite artistic and beautiful.
For a stadium.
“BEER here!”
It needs to have all the flags of the world atop those lightening rods though.
Well, I would have to see it in person but it reminds me of shark teeth from the pictures, big scary ones, inside and out. Maybe they got their inspiration from Jonah and the Whale? I think I might like the LA one better. Looks like I’ll have to take a cathedral tour some day when I go to California. I wonder if that design is a very efficient use of interior space? I don’t know, not being an architect. Can someone architecturally literate address the use of space issue?
The top looks like a venus fly trap! lol
What a disgrace, a 131 million dollar piece of heresy. That is 131,000,000! Firstly, how many people could we help with that. Second, it is ugly as hell. Third, whats so wrong with a traditional church, a truly beautiful one. Does anyone make beautiful churches anymore? Fourthly, when people finally get past this odd vision of beauty it will still be here. We will have to deal with it 🙁
“It may give me nightmares” indeed!
I agree… Architecture at Notre Dame is the epitome of the classical education… Not only is it one of the most respected overall programs in the country, it is also dedicated almost entirely to a “restorationist” brand of classical architecture. As for none of the bishops looking to Notre Dame, that is mostly true at least. Archbishop Burke, to my knoweldge, is using a design by one of ND Architecture’s most esteemed professors for the new basilica being built in his old diocese of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He is on the board of directors for that basilica.
I wonder if the Diocese will actually be able to afford the heating and air conditioning costs
” ..Based on the aerial view Instead of cruciform we have football form and I have to admit that this design makes me call out Hail Mary! …[jeff miller]
“Does anyone else see a certain “feminine” aspect to this failed design? …. [John Hearn]
” … This may be appropriate. The Church is both Mother and Bride. I would argue that there are at least a couple of sexual imageries present in the symbolism ….” [Eric Giunta]
I suggest that Sheela na Gig has been called forth once again …. where is St. Malaisse when you need him ……
Hmm. What would the AC costs be for such an overgrown greenhouse, albeit one that seems to have tinted glass? (And if it’s as high as I’d fear, how Gaia-friendly is that supposed to be?)
Both buildings are ugly. That is beyond dispute. Oakland looks like a roller coaster at Six Flags. L.A. looks like a Soviet nuclear power plant. What they have in common is that neither of them is recognizable as a �domus Dei,� a house of God.
If the proposed Oakland Cathedral had been built in L.A., it could have been named: “Sick Fags Over Los Angeles.”
Dear Phillip,
You believe this example of architecture to be “heresy.” That is a large charge to make. What is your basis for making such a claim?
Is it too late to get a petition drive going to stop them? Ground-breaking is still an early stage…
Andy – maybe the answer to your question can be found in the document –
Architecture and Theosophy, An Introduction
Susan R. Henderson
Syracuse University …
just a suggestion …..
“Now imagine that basket wrapped in opaque glass. In daylight the glass is a veil, shrouding what’s within; but at night, light seeps out through the basket and the veil, glowing for all to see. ” [promotion]
continuing w/the “eco” theme ….. how much will it cost to keep “lights on” in order to justify the viewing of the “veil[ed]” beauty??
Does anyone no anything about the architect?? Background ….
This is all part of the movement to slowly lessen the importance of tradition, destroy the catholic identity, take away the signifigance of the mass, and so on. In addition they are spening so much money that does not need to be spent. They could easily make a very beautiful Cathedral for a fraction of the price and use the rest of the money for something good. How many people could be helped if they just spent even 20 million. That is 100 million for others. Though it is just a building, the ideas behind things like this are not always good. Maybe heresy is not the best word, but that’s all it comes off to me as.
Bout of nausea over…can now write.
No quite as ugly as the armadillo of Los Angeles, but close enough. I kept wondering where the goal posts were.
Seriously, this looks like a temple of humanism built to worship us, not God.
We need to acquire a theology that sees the church building not as a meeting hall or an artistic expression, but as an icon of heaven. (If heaven is like this place, frankly I am not interested.)
As an aside, the church I am pastor of is a church in the round. It is a nightmare to celebrate and preach in. Fortunately, we start construction on the new building in August.
The Wanderer is going to have a field day with this one.
Dear pml,
I do not understand the connections you are making with the article you suggest I read. Please help me to see why you recommended it.
Dear Fr. Erik,
You give another reasonable criticism of the interior. Thank you for your thoughts.
” … This is all part of the movement to slowly lessen the importance of tradition, destroy the catholic identity, take away the signifigance of the mass, and so on. …” [philip]
Can we say ..
Lausanne Conference Thailand
Cell Churches
House Churches
Mega Churches
Emergent Churches
non-denominational Churches …….
reformation ….
strip, strip, strip, strip………
Comment line from Tim Boucher: Occult investigator blog:
http://www.timboucher.com/
” …. Though a very loose term, Wikipedia says that the
Emerging Church generally follows a more postmodern approach:
This has led to a climate where many individual Christians are
deconstructing each area of their Christian faith and analysing it
piece by piece. Each individual experiences his or her own unique journey through this deconstruction process. One observed phenomenon is that many Christians subsequently start to reconstruct their Christianity thus finding a faith that, while basically Christian, is often distinct from the more established churches.
One definition of the Emerging Church is that it is the collective noun for the individuals who are emerging from this process of deconstruction and reconstruction of Christianity, or those who have joined groups being led by such individuals.
From that alone, I’m already very intrigued by the whole thing. It
sounds exactly like the process that occultists, New Agers, Wiccans, Neo-Pagans and others have been following for years. Maybe this means there will be more dialogue between these groups and Christians. Of course, the major issue will become the uniqueness of the Christ story. In either case, it seems like a GIGANTIC step forward from us- versus-them rigid reactionary fundamentalism. I only hope this movement gains ground ….”
Let us all sit in the circle …..
Dear Philip,
Forgive my misspelling of your name when I first addressed you.
Now, I need to ask about your thoughts that this “lessen[s] the importance of tradition, destroy[s] the catholic identity, take[s] away the signifigance of the mass, and so on.” The change from Gothic to Baroque broke from the architectural tradition. Without it, we would not have architectural masterpieces that many cathedral from that era are. If composers did not break from tradition, we would not have the wealth of sacred music we have today. I am not seeing it. The way I see it, by placing the liturgy of the Eucharist at the physical center of the cathedral, the Sacrament inherently becomes the focus. Now, I would imagine hat the back section would be the place of reservation, as it is a smaller space. That is typical of many cathedrals.
Anyway, I babble here. I look forward to this discussion.
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