Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, Calif.
by Jonathan McGaha | June 30, 2009 12:00 am
Crowning the 135-foot- (41-m-) high award-winning Cathedral of Christ the Light is the Oculus Ceiling, designed to both reflect and diffuse the light from the skylight above. The unique panel system allows for an evolving light environment.
As its name suggests, the Cathedral of Christ the Light draws on the tradition of light as a sacred phenomenon. Throughout the day and seasons, the quality of light transforms within the sanctuary space. Changing light streams from the Oculus Ceiling, illuminating the marble-sheathed altar at the sanctuary’s center and the curving pews that surround it. Additionally, this ceiling system contributes to the project’s sustainability and the quality of the indoor environment-with the exception of evening activities, the cathedral is entirely lit by daylight to create an extraordinary level of luminosity.
Lindner USA Inc., Tucker, Ga., brought its unique capabilities to this challenging project, which required extensive seismic engineering and precision manufacturing. The company developed the unique LMD-E 203 ceiling and suspension system, which allowed for secure attachment and accurate orientation of the Oculus Ceiling’s petal-like panels. There are 36 types of panels, which incorporate 100 configurations of subpanels.
Perimeter composite panels were perforated to diffuse daylight and evening backlighting, with solid interior panels adding desired reflection of light into the sanctuary below. The final determination of the light transmission was made at an off-site mock-up of three full-size composite panels. This allowed the architect, Craig Hartman from Skidmore Owings and Merrill, San Francisco, and his staff to evaluate the perforation size, which is critical to allowing the proper light diffusion while preventing any view of the supporting structure and service catwalk. The originally specified percentage of open area was adjusted from 20 percent to 5 percent as a result of this effort, and final approval of the suspension components was given.
Once the configuration was approved, Lindner USA needed to make sure all components were staged and ready to be installed within an 18-day window needed to dismantle the 7,000-square-foot (650-m2), 125-foot- (38-m-) high shoring/scaffolding platform. All materials were hoisted to the platform for final assembly of the subpanels and attachment to the supporting structure. Due to limited site access, the logistics of getting the proper components to the hoist point at the right time were critical, and once lifted, the parts had to fit together perfectly-the first time.
Lindner USA Inc., Tucker, Ga.
Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/projects/cathedral-of-christ-the-light-oakland-calif/