Jose Rafael Moneo - Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels

Jose Rafael Moneo
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Los Angeles, California

This Feature is sponsored by: Ålborg White

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Looking East view from the Plaza.

The Cathedral of Our lady of the Angels is the first Cathedral to be built in the United States in over a quarter of a century, and will be the first Cathedral in the world to be dedicated to a new millennium. The centerpiece of the project is the 63,000-square-foot Cathedral with seating for 3,000 people. A 24,000-square-foot Rectory for the Archbishop, resident clergy, and visitors, and a 46,000-square-foot conference center and offices are being constructed at the eastern end of the site. Other amenities will include a 100,000-square-foot plaza, a Cloister Garden, a 150-foot-tall campanile (bell tower), and a 600-car underground parking garage. One of the most challenging requirements is for the new Cathedral to withstand the test of time. The project team is utilizing advanced strategies to achieve a lifespan of no less than 500 years for the structure and building systems.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Southwest view.

The building has been designed to withstand an 8.4 point Richter scale earthquake (not yet experienced in Los Angeles). The entire building sits on base isolators, which means that the whole building can move about 24 inches in each direction during earthquakes. The hole with the isolator pads will be covered by an overlapping site floor that will allow the building to move back and forwards during an earthquake.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
The North Ambulatory

Moneo was very conscious of not wanting the entrance to be directly on the street. Worshipers and visitors will travel a spiritual path; each step will be a transition from the secular to the sacred. A 'carillon wall' with bells reminiscent of Mission style churches will face Temple Street. Pedestrians will enter on Temple Street then pass through a lower plaza, up a grand staircase, through the upper plaza and on toward great 5-ton bronze doors designed by Los Angeles artist Robert Graham to the south ambulatory or smaller doors leading to the north ambulatory. Ten chapels along the north and south ambulatory face away from the center of the Cathedral but can be entered through passages between the chapels. Stairs in the north ambulatory will lead to the crypt level.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Model of the 5-ton bronze doors by Los Angeles artist Robert Graham.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Constructing the individual chapel roofs.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
The tall clerestory windows in the Church Room.

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Model of the Cross in the Church Room.

The grand scale and proportions of the building will be illuminated by sunlight radiating into the chapels and nave through windows made of 24,000 square feet of thinly veined Spanish alabaster. In the main worship space light flooding in through the east window will silhouette the cross. The exterior materials are concrete, the floors stone, the ceiling wood, the roof copper, and the inside of the windows alabaster. The pews and organ are wood, and the Baptismal Font is granite.

Photo courtesy Moneo Office
The Model with the Bell Tower (campanile).

Photo: Kirsten Kiser
Model showing the interior of the Cathedral.

Editor's Note: The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is nearing its final 11-story height... you can see the great concrete buttresses rising on either side of the planned nave. It is impressive! I was very lucky to be given a tour of the site by David Campbell of the Jose Rafael Moneo Los Angeles office. I asked David about the pouring of the concrete as I had been told the process was very interesting and worth watching. He told me that the concrete had been a big project in terms of finding the exact mix and color, and for heat not to be too big a problem. Initially, because of the massive walls, the concrete would begin to cure and thus chemically start to generate heat by itself. They had to find a way to minimize the heat build-up which took quite a lot of research as they had to go through a whole scientific process...'lots of tests...lots of mock-ups.' -

Owner: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Design Architect: Jose Rafael Moneo
Executive Architect: Leo A Daly
Area: 5.6 acres
Total square feet: 195,000
Parking: 600 cars
General Contractor: Morley Construction
Structural Engineer: Nabih Youssef Associates
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer: Ove Arup Partners.
Pipe Organ: Dobson Organ Builders, design by Jose Rafael Moneo
Concrete: Lehigh, Ålborg, Denmark

September 26, 2000

Jose Rafael Moneo arcspace features





				Features
		Jose Rafael Moneo Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Los Angeles, California This Feature is sponsored by: Ålborg White Photo: Kirsten Kiser Looking East view from the Plaza. The Cathedral of Our lady of the Angels is the first Cathedral to be built in the United States in over a quarter of a century, and will be the first Cathedral in the world to be dedicated to a new millennium. The centerpiece of the project is the 63,000-square-foot Cathedral with seating for 3,000 people. A 24,000-square-foot Rectory for the Archbishop, resident clergy, and visitors, and a 46,000-square-foot conference center and offices are being constructed at the eastern end of the site. Other amenities will include a 100,000-square-foot plaza, a Cloister Garden, a 150-foot-tall campanile (bell tower), and a 600-car underground parking garage. One of the most challenging requirements is for the new Cathedral to withstand the test of time. The project team is utilizing advanced strategies to achieve a lifespan of no less than 500 years for the structure and building systems. Photo: Kirsten Kiser Southwest view. The building has been designed to withstand an 8.4 point Richter scale earthquake (not yet experienced in Los Angeles). The entire building sits on base isolators, which means that the whole building can move about 24 inches in each direction during earthquakes. The hole with the isolator pads will be covered by an overlapping site floor that will allow the building to move back and forwards during an earthquake. Photo: Kirsten Kiser The North Ambulatory Moneo was very conscious of not wanting the entrance to be directly on the street. Worshipers and visitors will travel a spiritual path; each step will be a transition from the secular to the sacred. A 'carillon wall' with bells reminiscent of Mission style churches will face Temple Street. Pedestrians will enter on Temple Street then pass through a lower plaza, up a grand staircase, through the upper plaza and on toward great 5-ton bronze doors designed by Los Angeles artist Robert Graham to the south ambulatory or smaller doors leading to the north ambulatory. Ten chapels along the north and south ambulatory face away from the center of the Cathedral but can be entered through passages between the chapels. Stairs in the north ambulatory will lead to the crypt level. Photo: Kirsten Kiser Model of the 5-ton bronze doors by Los Angeles artist Robert Graham. Photo: Kirsten Kiser Constructing the individual chapel roofs. Photo: Kirsten Kiser The tall clerestory windows in the Church Room. Photo: Kirsten Kiser Model of the Cross in the Church Room. The grand scale and proportions of the building will be illuminated by sunlight radiating into the chapels and nave through windows made of 24,000 square feet of thinly veined Spanish alabaster. In the main worship space light flooding in through the east window will silhouette the cross. The exterior materials are concrete, the floors stone, the ceiling wood, the roof copper, and the inside of the windows alabaster. The pews and organ are wood, and the Baptismal Font is granite. Photo courtesy Moneo Office The Model with the Bell Tower (campanile). Photo: Kirsten Kiser Model showing the interior of the Cathedral. Editor's Note: The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is nearing its final 11-story height... you can see the great concrete buttresses rising on either side of the planned nave. It is impressive! I was very lucky to be given a tour of the site by David Campbell of the Jose Rafael Moneo Los Angeles office. I asked David about the pouring of the concrete as I had been told the process was very interesting and worth watching. He told me that the concrete had been a big project in terms of finding the exact mix and color, and for heat not to be too big a problem. Initially, because of the massive walls, the concrete would begin to cure and thus chemically start to generate heat by itself. They had to find a way to minimize the heat build-up which took quite a lot of research as they had to go through a whole scientific process...'lots of tests...lots of mock-ups.' - Owner: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Design Architect: Jose Rafael Moneo Executive Architect: Leo A Daly Area: 5.6 acres Total square feet: 195,000 Parking: 600 cars General Contractor: Morley Construction Structural Engineer: Nabih Youssef Associates Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineer: Ove Arup Partners. Pipe Organ: Dobson Organ Builders, design by Jose Rafael Moneo Concrete: Lehigh, Ålborg, Denmark September 26, 2000 Jose Rafael Moneo arcspace features