The Loma Prieta Earthquake, which struck northern California in 1989, caused irreparable damage to Oakland's venerable St. Francis de Sales Cathedral. When the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland began to plan for a new church to replace the cathedral, which was demolished in 1993, it sought a structure that would stand for at least 300 years. Through a competition, the San Francisco office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) was selected to design and engineer the replacement. Now completed, the Cathedral of Christ the Light unites light and structure, utilizes natural materials, and overcomes some of the most difficult site conditions in the world.
展开▼
