Oakland, California's cathedral, Oakland Cathedral of Christ the Light, is the first cathedral built in the 21st century. It has been abstracted into a modern structure still holding to an International style approach. Aside from a glowing, 58 foot tall perforated Romanesque Christ on aluminum panels, the interior is free of the traditional iconography often populating the walls of Catholic churches. The cathedral serves as a symbol of spiritual connectivity through the interaction of light and materiality. A reinforced concrete base holds a 136 foot ascension of glass, wood, and steel. Light passes through the effortless structure, fully illuminating its interior. The manipulation of light within the cathedral is an echo of the European and Gothic cathedrals in which the church used light as a vehicle for awe. A theatrical play of light through elaborate stained glass windows was a way of making the earth-bound feel connected to a higher power.
Oakland's Cathedral manages to maintain both an ephemeral and connective quality. As such, it is an architectural paradox. Architecture is a transient object. It may give the illusion of permanence, but it is impermanent. The Cathedral of Christ the Light appears weightless and fragile, yet it will stand for centuries to come. It is built with sustainably harvested douglas fir wood, which is structurally elastic and resilient to seismic events. A seismic base isolation system stabilizes the structure during earthquakes with a steel friction-pendulum moving in rhythmic motions. Still a distant cry to the immortal structure, but inspiring all the same. With the alternative utilization of materials in structure and redefining what architecture can be, we may someday have a building which will live forever, which is in itself a contradiction.
An analytical animation which explains the project in 3D