Iconic Glass Structures – Crystal Cathedral

No discussion of iconic glass structures would be complete without looking at the former Crystal Cathedral, now known as Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA. The cathedral was originally built between 1977 and 1980 for the Garden Grove Community Church. The building has an area of about 75,000 square feet and seats about 2,750 people. The building was originally designed by architect Philip Johnson and was built at a cost of about $18 million. The church was dedicated in 1980 by Robert Schuller, a minister in the Reformed Church of America.

In 2010, the congregation ran into severe financial trouble, and ultimately declared bankruptcy, claiming more than $43 million in liabilities. The church was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange for about $57 million, and is undergoing major interior renovations. The exterior of the building will remain largely unchanged. The Diocese of Orange intends to move its operations onto the campus wjem reconstruction is complete.

The outer structure of the building is made from steel and more than 10,000 rectangular glass panels that are not mechanically fastened to the structure. Instead, the panels are glued in place using a silicone adhesive. The building was designed to withstand an 8.0-magnitude earthquake. The 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake remains the strongest recorded earthquake in California. That quake had a magnitude of 7.9. The largest-ever recorded earthquake is the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, which occurred in Chile. That quake had a recorded magnitude of 9.5.

One issue the renovations address is solar heat gain, which can be intense in the building. The new interior design will feature quatrefoil shades and tall walls that will line the sanctuary area. The interior has been completely redesigned in part to shift the focus of the worship from the pulpit to the altar. The walls and floors will be made of walnut and limestone, and the altar will include travertine and Italian marble.

As a side note, the building houses the fifth-largest pipe organ in the world. The organ was actually constructed from two different organs and was prominently featured in the Hour of Power television show that was produced by the Garden Grove Community Church. The organ will continue to occupy its traditional space, but the Diocese took the opportunity to refurbish the organ during construction. The organ was dismantled and sent to Italy to be repaired. It has since been shipped back to California and will be re-installed following the completion of the interior construction.

The construction of the worship space is expected to be finished in 2018, and final construction on the campus is expected to be complete by 2019.

Glassprimer™ glass paint is a specialized glass coating that bonds permanently to glass surfaces. GlassPrimer also makes a glass surface molecular activator that is designed to work with UV-inkjet glass printing processes. For more information about Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store.

Photo Credit: radiobread , via Flickr.com