Oakland Cathedral of Light 2016

While in Oakland, California I had a few spare minutes so stopped in to visit the Cathedral of Christ the Light.  Built to replace the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales destroyed in the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 it is the only Catholic Cathedral built in the US in the 21^st century.  Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill it is modern in appearance and is a radical design departure from more traditional religious structures around the world.

While a longtime admirer of SOM architecture, the Cathedral of Light feels more like a performing arts center or concert hall than a place of worship.  Primary construction materials are concrete, Douglas Fir and glass.  White light filters through frosted external glass panes and an internal structure of wooden planks.  The stations of the cross are marked with bronze plates set in the concrete walls.   The small side chapels are devoid of traditional religious ornamentation.   Colored light does not permeate the worship spaces as stained glass is eschewed for a clear glass oculus that lights the interior during the day.

While not personally moving on a spiritual level the Cathedral of Light is interesting from an architectural point of view.  The use of common materials is well executed and the lines and angles work perfectly.  Visually the composition is light and dark with contrasting angles and these pictures convey its sense of order and symmetry.

All images were taken with Nikon D7000 and Nikkor-N.C. f=2.8, 24mm manual focus lens.