Image: Chuck Bennett
The Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif., was initially built by the ministry of Dr. Robert Schuller, best known for his weekly "Hour of Power" television broadcast. Because of the television exposure, the sweeping glass structure is well known—even outside of its Californian community.
When the Schullers decided to sell the building to pay off ministry debt in 2011, it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, which is one of the most diverse Catholic communities in the world. It serves across multiple languages, cultures, politics and lifestyles. Home to more than 1.6 million believers, it is also the 7th largest -- and one of the fastest growing -- dioceses in the nation.
In Southern California, finding land to develop is difficult and zoning can be complex. The empty cathedral not only provided an ideal location to serve the diocese but was already zoned for religious use.
The story of the cathedral could have been one of an abandoned landmark falling into disrepair, but because of the investment of the diocese, it became a story of resurrection. A beautiful structure in desperate need of maintenance was reborn as Christ Cathedral.
Making the building practical for Catholic worship
“People forget that the Crystal Cathedral was primarily a broadcast venue in its first life,” shares Scott Johnson, Design Partner and Founder of Johnson Fain in Los Angeles. (Johnson Fain led the redesign, transitioning the cathedral for use as a Catholic church.) “There was a lot of light, a space frame grid, no columns, and it operated much like a Hollywood soundstage.”
Originally designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the building was an incredibly beautiful work of architecture, but there were challenges in need of resolution. As in all glass buildings, there were issues related to sunlight control, energy management, and acoustics. So, the direction to the design team was to make the iconic building practical for Catholic worship while resolving the historically problematic elements of a building made of glass.
Challenge Roddie, photographer
“In Roman Catholic cathedrals, the mass is celebrated through procession and the altar is the main focus of activity. We changed the orientation inside the cathedral to support this,” explains Johnson.
The approach was to design a space within a space to create the scale needed for connection in worship, without losing the inspiration the exterior architecture of the cathedral evokes.
Seating was reconfigured to provide wider aisles and better exiting for safety. Carpeting was replaced with more durable stone finishes.
A simple solution to solve a complex problem
“The space never really had air conditioning and could become uncomfortably warm. There was also a lot of glare,” explains Steve Chung, Principal at Johnson Fain. “We had to reengineer.”
“We were looking for a simple idea that would solve about twelve practical problems, that visitors to the cathedral would experience as seamless and uplifting," says Johnson. “We ruminated for weeks. We were dealing with acoustics, heat issues, light issues, and illumination at night. We came up with the idea of taking the individual frames and fitting them with quatrefoils at different levels of orientation. They would be translucent so that light would be filtered as it entered the sanctuary.”
The team went through a number of trials for the quatrefoils to get to a design that was harmonious in the space and diminished heat and glare.
The quatrefoils are perforated metal panels, powder-coated white and backed with white fabric and a polycarbonate layer – each sandwiched layer solving a different problem. Through computer energy modeling, the team was able to determine the exact shape, orientation and performance of each quatrefoil.
“We did a lot of mockups,” highlights Chung. “We tested, tweaked, and made all the necessary adjustments. We had to go through that process.”
Spoken word and music in a reflective space
Theatre and acoustic consultant, Idibri, were tasked with creating speech intelligibility through the acoustic and audio design. The challenge was keeping the new air handling units quiet and achieving even audio coverage that would keep sound energy off of reflective surfaces, while blending loudspeakers into the architecture.
Chuck Bennett, photographer
“Computer modeling allowed us to go through multiple designs and test assumptions,” says Jeff Miller, Senior Consultant for Idibri in San Diego. “The majority of the loudspeakers are hiding in the architectural elements, and the speakers which worshippers do see are designed to blend in.”
“One source of noise is the air handling towers, which are designed to throw air 90 feet. Idibri designed a sound trap box that the air routes through before going into the tower to quiet it down. We collaborated with Johnson Fain to create walls where there were none, to make this blend elegantly.”
Another acoustic challenge was the cathedral’s Hazel Wright Organ. An internationally known instrument, the Hazel Wright Organ is the 5th largest pipe organ in the world. Over time, a lack of maintenance left the organ in need of restoration. Fratelli Ruffatti of Padua, Italy, the original organ builder was engaged to lead a massive restoration effort. Everything from the organ’s wind system to the control electronics had to be repaired or replaced, and each of the 16,000 pipes had to be individually repaired and adjusted for pitch, timbre, and wind pressure.
“We’re all awaiting the rededication of the Hazel Wright Organ in May, 2020,” Miller says. “It’s been a long time since the entire instrument was operational, and in the upgraded acoustical environment the experience should be thrilling.”
Design to welcome the world
"We’re such a diverse community with all the cultures,” shares Eric Flynn of Flynn Construction Management in Los Angeles, which served the diocese throughout the process. “Because we have the various languages and backgrounds from around the world, wayfinding signage was an important part of the renovation for Christ Cathedral.”
“There are 12 services each weekend. Signage to orient people on the campus was a big component from a construction standpoint,” points out Flynn. “Everything is interchangeable. There are three large LED displays within the cathedral to provide messaging in different languages. Stationary signage directs people through the property so that people can flow smoothly through the updated campus and renovated cathedral. The goal is to make everyone welcome.”
Idibri provided design for the three LED walls—which are 14.5 feet tall. While IMAG video is possible for events, it isn’t typically used during worship services, but lyrics and liturgy are projected in multiple languages. AMT Systems of Santa Clarita, CA provided installation of the audio and video systems.
Additionally, the Catholic TV Network EWTN has a control room on the campus to support streaming and radio broadcast in a variety of languages.
The process was part of the beauty
Flynn shares that it wasn’t just the renovation project that was significant; it was also the process. “The bond of everyone’s involvement was unique. There was incredible unity. You don’t typically see that in the world of construction and development. It was a community of everyone coming together. That was really special. We all worked for common ground for the cathedral. It was the most incredible aspect of this project.”
Equipment List:
Audio:
Renkus-Heinz Iconyx speakers (IC32-RD, IC24-RD, IC8-RD, custom step fill)
K-Array KV50 and KK102 speakers
Tectonic Audio Labs speakers (DML-10)
Yamaha CL3, QL1, and TF1 mixing consoles
QSC Core 510i and Core 110f DSP (and touchpanels – all control system is QSC)
Dante audio over IP
Middle Atlantic racks
Shure Axient Digital wireless mics (12 channels)
DPA Microphones (d:fine 88, 4017C, 4018ES, 5006C, 4011C, 4015C)
Focusrite Dante Mic Preamp (RedNet4)
Listen Technologies (ALS and translation system)
Video:
Vanguard LED walls (1080p native, 4mm)
Panasonic AW-HE130 PTZ camera
Marshall Box Camera
ProPresenter
Clear-Com 4-ch partyline intercom
Ross Carbonite Plus production switcher and NK routing system
