Cathedral of Christ the Light

The project’s 2.5-acre site is the former location of the St. Francis de Sales parish that was destroyed by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Seismic forces were thus of special consideration in the new design, and a 60,000-ton concrete foundation was built to withstand forces upon the cathedral. Structure and cladding systems would also have to accommodate the high movements and seismic loads required by California building code.

Unique performance and aesthetic specifications were desired by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP for the building envelope, and Enclos was enlisted to provide design/build services for one of the most elaborate custom enclosure systems yet devised.

The Cathedral sits along the northwest corner of Lake Merritt adjacent to parks and green-ways, all part of a balanced, well-executed urban master plan which broke ground in May 2005 and completed construction in summer 2008.

Year:

2008

Facade Area:

70,000 sq ft

Location:

Oakland, CA

Market:

cultural

Height:

136 ft

Owner:

Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay

General Contractor:

Webcor Builders

Architect:

Kendall/Heaton Associates, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Awards:

 
Excellence in Design
California Construction Magazine, 2009

Honor Award: Architecture
AIA, 2009

Outstanding Architectural Design
AIA, 2009

Top 125 Buildings
Architectural Record, 2016



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