Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, United States

April 15, 2011 Category: Public Buildings, Religion

Located in Oakland, United States, Cathedral of Christ the Light was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. As its name suggests, the Cathedral draws on the tradition of light as a sacred phenomenon. Through its poetic introduction, indirect daylight ennobles modest materials—primarily wood, glass and concrete. With the exception of evening activities, the Cathedral is lit entirely by daylight to create an extraordinary level of luminosity.

The lightest ecological footprint was SOM’s core design objective. Through the innovative use of renewable materials, the 1500-seat Cathedral minimizes the use of energy and natural resources. The structure’s concrete makes use of industrial waste fly ash, a byproduct of coal production that requires less energy to produce than cement. An advanced version of the ancient Roman technique of thermal inertia maintains the interior climate with mass and radiant heat.

Cathedral of Christ the Light design by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill

Cathedral of Christ the Light design Exterior 1

Cathedral of Christ the Light design Exterior 2

Cathedral of Christ the Light design Interior

Tags: Cathedral of Christ, Cathedral of Christ the Light, Cement, Concrete, Construction, energy, less energy, Merrill Corp, Oakland, Owings, Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, SKIDMORE OWINGS AND MERRILL LLP, United States