The Cathedral Center of Christ the Light

Fact Sheet

Location
Two square blocks in the City of Oakland, bounded by Grand Avenue, Harrison Street, 21st Street and Ordway Plaza.

Chronology

October 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake renders original Cathedral unusable.
1999-2000 Bishop John Cummins leads the process that culminates in the decision to proceed with site purchase, architect competition and construction of a multi-use Cathedral Center in downtown Oakland.
January 2003 The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron is appointed Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland.
June 2005 Construction begins.
September 25, 2008 Dedication Mass and Consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Light.

Contractors

Design Architect Craig W. Hartman, FAIA, Design Partner (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP)
Architect of Record Kendall/Heaton Associates, Houston
Landscape Architect Peter Walker & Partners, Berkeley
Project Management Conversion Management Associates, San Francisco
General Contractor Webcor Builders

 

COMPONENTS

Cathedral of Christ the Light

  • Largest worship space within the Oakland Diocese, to seat 1350 for liturgies
  • Home for annual community-wide liturgies for many professions including educators, police, firemen and lawyers

Cathedral Center

  • Open community access to beautifully landscaped park, plaza, and garden spaces
  • Plaza-level bookstore and café open to the public
  • Full conference center with community access
  • Administrative offices for Chancery employees
  • Residence for Bishop, pastor and visiting clergy
  • Broad-based ministries and social services directed to those in need
  • Projected 200,000 annual visitors

Other

  • 224,000 square feet:
 Size of entire complex
  • 53,000 cubic yards:
 Amount of soil removed during excavation
  • 60,750 tons:
 Amount of concrete poured
  • 15 feet tall:
 Size of surrounding concrete base walls supporting the wooden structure
  • 110 feet:
 The height of 26 curved Douglas fir ribs. These were manufactured and fabricated in Minnesota and shipped by truck to the site.
  • 101 feet:
 The height of 26 straight Douglas fir mullions. These were manufactured and fabricated in Oregon and then trucked to the site.
  • 768:
The number of Douglas fir horizontal louvers
  • 1,028:
The number of 4.5-feet-by-10-feet glass panes of glass that will envelope the wood structure
  • 140:
The number of aluminum panels comprising the oculus ceiling.
  • 94,000:
The number of perforations in aluminum panels comprising the 90-foot high Omega window, through which light passes, illuminating a 58-foot high image of Christ in Majesty. This image was borrowed from a sculpture at Chartres Cathedral in France.
  • 36:
The number of friction pendulum double-concave base isolators in which the entire Cathedral rests.
These protect the Cathedral against earthquakes.
  • 4200 pounds:
The weight of each of the double-concave base isolators
  • 1,300:
The number of crypts the cathedral mausoleum will hold
  • 1,450:
The number of niches it will contain
  • 200:
Underground parking spaces.

The Oakland Diocese is home to more than 500,000 Catholics of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, representing 22% of the total population. This number is projected to grow to 600,000 by 2010. Mass is celebrated in 17 languages throughout the Diocese. Catholic organizations within the Diocese educate over 25,000 students and provide food, shelter, medical care and other social services free of charge to over 400,000 people of all faiths each year.

 
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2007 © The Cathedral of Christ the Light