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SOM used the declivity toward the water, and additional excavation, to bury much of the program — including the mausoleum, classrooms, conference center, and office space — beneath the plaza at street level.

Inside, Christ the Light is arranged in a variation of the Latin-cross plan, with seating for 1,350 divided by a long central aisle. Smaller side chapels ring the perimeter, approximating the hierarchy of spaces in a traditional basilica. An overhead oculus skylight illuminates the main space with indirect light, and walls made of ceramic-coated glass create changing patterns of light and shadow.

"It was important to create a structure delicate enough for light to be transmitted into the space," says SOM structural engineer Mark Sarkisian.

A structural armature of straight Glu-Lam ribs supports the skin of glass. Wood louvers connect the inner curved ribs, and high-strength steel rods tie the entire wood assembly together.

The transparent enclosure atop a heavier reinforced concrete plinth has an unusual structural system. Base isolation protects the 12-story glass superstructure in the event of an earthquake, Sarkisian explains. Thirty-six friction pendulum double-isolators between the sanctuary floor and mausoleum walls decouple the two parts, allowing slower, gentler displacement in a big shake.

The cathedral is designed to last for three centuries, according to the architects.

Sacred Elements

Simple materials and cut-out shapes recur throughout the design. The sensuous quality of basic concrete, wood, and glass pervades, as does exquisite craftsmanship and the abstract play of light. The allure of form and materials found in the structure filters down into details, such as the serpentine wood confessionals and two pairs of oversized natural Douglas-fir entry doors.

Light is also used as a raw material to fashion a figurative image. Composed of 94,000 points of light, a 58-foot- (18-meter-) tall depiction of Christ — based on a medieval stone relief sculpture at Chartres Cathedral — hovers over the congregation. The architects used computer-generated algorithms to size and locate perforations in metal panels through which light passes, creating the ephemeral image.

At the other end of the sanctuary, architectural highlights include an intimate entry with inset wooden benches. Outside, a low-roofed portal projects from the concrete base to funnel congregants indoors from the plaza.

Inside, before flat ceiling gives way to a soaring vault, visitors skirt a gurgling baptismal font on axis with the center aisle. Water dripping over the edge of the round font is juxtaposed with a framed view of Lake Merritt's shoreline.

The picture window also marks the stairs down to the mausoleum. The cathedral's marble-and-wood-lined burial chamber lies beneath the sanctuary floor. Only one other such crypt exists in the United States. Light filters into the mausoleum from the concrete crucifix cut-out in the ceiling. The funeral altar downstairs aligns in section with the main altar above.

Sprinkled throughout the complex is art, such as custom metal sconces, and bronze relief wall tiles illustrating the Stations of the Cross. The chapel of the seasons contains a series of revolving devotional paintings and sculpture based on seasonal holidays. Each quiet, small-scale chapel has a different appearance.

Treading Lightly

Hartman says that the $190 million budget did not allow for LEED certification of the project, but the architects incorporated significant sustainable features nonetheless.

The cathedral saves energy by relying on natural light for all of its daytime lighting. Mechanical heating and cooling is minimized due to a passive system that uses natural convection. Slots in the cathedral floor draw cool air up from the crypt below to circulate into sanctuary, and vents in the oculus allow heat to dissipate as it rises.

SOM specified fly ash as an additive in the tens of thousands of tons of concrete used, reducing that material's environmental impact. Green roofs on the office and conference areas reduce the heat-island effect.

The complex is also an easy walk to major public transit and the heart of downtown Oakland.   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The Cathedral of Christ the Light stands near the northeast corner of Oakland's Lake Merritt. Photo: César Rubio/ SOM Extra Large Image A long ramp leads from street level up to the main entry of Christ the Light. Photo: Victoria Shephard Extra Large Image Inside the 12-story cathedral, an image of Christ is projected through perforations in the metal panels of an end-wall. Photo: Victoria Shephard Extra Large Image Site plan drawing for the Cathedral of Christ the Light. Image: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) Extra Large Image Longitudinal section drawing, looking southeast. Image: SOM Extra Large Image A screen of triangular metal panels shades the two end-walls of Christ the Light. Photo: César Rubio/ SOM Extra Large Image Steel mullions between glass panels extend beyond the top of the exterior wall. Photo: César Rubio/ SOM Extra Large Image An array of angled wood shades is attached to the curved inner row of Glu-Lam ribs. Photo: César Rubio/ SOM Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.