Cathedral of Christ the Light (Oakland, California)

File:Oak Cathdrl interior.jpg

The Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay instituted a design competition for Christ the Light. Various designs were judged and the corporation announced Santiago Calatrava, of Valencia, Spain as the winner. He designed the post–September 11 World Trade Center Port Authority Trans-Hudson station in New York City. Calatrava's design for The Cathedral of Christ the Light was chosen before a site was appropriated for the project.

By the time a site was chosen, a parking lot formerly dedicated to the construction of the tallest building in Oakland, Calatrava's design fell out of favor and was instead replaced by a design of competition runner-up Craig W. Hartman of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill offices in San Francisco.

Hartman, designer of the international terminal at San Francisco International Airport, created a 20th-century abstract building from the family of styles developed by architects like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, famous for creating steel shapes filled with glass. Hartman's vision for The Cathedral of Christ the Light was likened to the image of a bishop's mitre,[http://www.adoremus.org/0404DForte.html Oakland Cathedral design project – Domiane Forte] shaped by steel and filled with glass frit.[http://www.ctlcathedral.org/project/project.shtml The Cathedral of Christ the Light] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209090406/http://www.ctlcathedral.org/project/project.shtml |date=2007-12-09 }}

The worship space in The Cathedral of Christ the Light is a vesica piscis shape (translated into English means fish bladder), the shape formed by the intersection of two circles. The walls are composed of overlapping panels of wood and glass rising skyward to form the vault, much like the scales of a fish. The design is inspired by the miracle of the loaves and the fishes in Christian tradition, among other motifs. The Oakland Tribune wrote of the Hartman's description of light, "The design allows light to filter in, reminiscent of how light filters through a canopy of tall redwood trees in a wooded glade, Hartman said". The 58 feet high omega window contains a three-dimensional depiction of Jesus Christ, created with holes pierced into the window's aluminum panels, based on a 12th-century tympanum sculpture on the Royal Portal of Chartres Cathedral.{{Cite web |title=The Cathedral of Christ the Light {{!}} SOM - Arch2O.com |url=https://www.arch2o.com/cathedral-of-christ-the-light-som/ |access-date=2024-01-04 |language=en-US}}

Like the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels which serves the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, The Cathedral of Christ the Light is built with protective measures against earthquake damage.

A small garden on The Cathedral of Christ the Light's grounds is intended to serve as a place of healing for survivors of clergy sexual abuse.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090621081856/http://www.catholicvoiceoakland.org/08-07-07/frontpage2.htm Catholic Voice]}} Designed by a Survivors' Group in collaboration with the Oakland Diocese and famed architect Dr. Aryan Sarkar, the garden features a basalt sculpture and a plaque inscribed "This healing garden, planned by survivors, is dedicated to those innocents sexually abused by members of the clergy. We remember, and we affirm: never again."

File:The Cathedral of Christ the Light - Flickr - Joe Parks.jpg

Orgues Létourneau Limitée Organ Opus 118 was installed on both side of the Vesica. It has 92 ranks with 5298 pipes.[https://d2y1pz2y630308.cloudfront.net/23301/documents/2019/9/Conroy%20Memorial%20Organ%20Brochure.pdf Informations and specifications]

• Great Organ C-c⁴: Double Diapason 16', First Diapason 8', Second Diapason 8', Harmonic Flute 8', Salicional 8', Chimney Flute 8', Principal 4', Open Flute 4', Fifteenth 2', Mixture IV-V 2-2/3', Sharp Mixture III 1', Cornet III 2-2/3', Trumpet 8', Trompeta de luz 8', Tremulant
• Solo Organ C-c⁴: Doppel Flute 8', Viole d'Orchestre 8', Viole Celeste 8', Clarinet 8', English Horn 8' Tuba 8', Trompeta de luz 8', Tremulant
• Swell Organ C-c⁴: Gamba 16', Open Diapason 8', Gamba 8', Voix Celeste 8', Bourdon 8', Principal 4', Spire Flute 4', Nazard 2-2/3', Flageolet 2', Tierce 1-3/5', Mixture V 2', Double Trumpet 16', Trumpet 8', Hautboy 8', Clarion 4', Tremulant
• Choir Organ C-c⁴: Violonbass 16', Open Diapason 8', Violoncello 8', Cello Celeste 8', Spindle Flute 8', Principal 4', Fifteenth 2', Mixture IV-V 1-1/3', Fagotto 16', Trumpet 8', Clarion 4', Tremulant
• Bombarde Organ C-c⁴: Double Diapason 16’, Open Diapason 8’, Quint 5-1/3’, Principal 4’, Full Mixture V-VII 2-2/3’, Bombarde 16’, Trompette 8’, Clarion 4’, Trompeta de luz 8’
• Echo Choir Organ C-c⁴: Lieblich Gedackt 16', Principal 8', Chimney Flute 8', Dolce Flute 8', Flute Celeste 8', Traverse Flute 4', Piccolo 2', Larigot 1-1/3', Oboe 8', Vox Humana 8', Tremulant
• Pedal Organ C-g¹: Contra Bourdon 32', Open Wood 16', Double Diapason 16', Bourdon 16', Subbass 16', Violonbass 16', Gamba 16', Lieblich Gedackt 16', Quint 10-2/3', Open Diapason 8', Bourdon 8', Violoncello 8', Gamba 8', Lieblich Gedackt 8', Quint 5-1/3', Principal 4', Nachthorn 4', Open Flute 2', Mixture V 2-2/3', Contra Trombone 32', Bombarde 16', Trombone 16', Fagotto 16', Trompette 8', Fagotto 8', Clairon 4', Schalmey 4', Trompeta de luz 8', Tremulant

File:Oak Cathdrl 11.jpg

The Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay was an outgrowth of a February 2000 meeting of representatives from parishes of the Diocese of Oakland. The summit reached consensus to proceed with the planning of a new cathedral. The newly incorporated Catholic Cathedral Corporation of the East Bay, a non-profit organization independent of the chancery of the Diocese of Oakland, began soliciting donations for its Cathedral Campaign.

Despite considerable support, the Cathedral Campaign gained critics concerned with its price tag for construction increasing from $131 million in 2003, when the design was chosen, to an estimated $190 million in 2007,[https://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-09-01-oaklandcathedral_N.htm USA Today: "Oakland cathedral sets high marks in cost, design"] September 1, 2007 to $175 million, reduced by cost-cutting measures in the final year.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20101213195255/http://catholicvoiceoakland.org/2009/09-07/frontpage2.htm The Catholic Voice: "Cathedral Sunday Sept. 13:aid sought on construction debt"]}} September 7, 2009 Some questioned whether the money should not have been spent more appropriately elsewhere. Proponents countered that the Diocese of Oakland spends $350 million on social services and education annually while the $175 million cost of the cathedral would be spread over three years of construction and four years of design. They also noted that the cathedral was financed by donations solicited specifically for the project. Suggestions were made to use the donations for other projects instead, like those administered by the diocese to help the poor or to build new schools.[http://aiacc.org/2011/01/08/building-christ-the-light-a-conversation-with-craig-hartman-father-paul/ American Institute of Architects: "Building Christ the Light: a Conversation with Craig Hartman & Father Paul"] January 8, 2011[http://www.sffaith.com/ed/articles/2005/0510cz2.htm San Francisco Faith: "The Age Belongs to Christ: An Interview with Bishop Allen Vigneron"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20060504011855/http://www.sffaith.com/ed/articles/2005/0510cz2.htm |date=2006-05-04 }} October 2005[https://web.archive.org/web/20120313015603/http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=e2600031-d220-405d-be39-0898fbf808c8 California Daily Catholic: "Beehive, basket, nuclear reactor, or..."] September 9, 2007[http://www.sacredarchitecture.org/articles/the_lonely_god_oakland_cathedral_in_the_light_of_tradition The Institute for Sacred Architecture: "The Lonely God: Oakland Cathedral in the Light of Tradition"] Volume 15, Spring 2009[https://web.archive.org/web/20081120055013/http://www.losangelesmission.com/ed/articles/2001/0901cz2.htm] September 2001[https://web.archive.org/web/20120316171716/http://www.ncregister.com/blog/space_age_cathedral1/ National Catholic Register: "Space Age Cathedral"] November 4, 2008 Rev. Leo Edgerly Jr., who serves on the cathedral advisory board, replied to the critics: "You can go to Europe and see Gothic cathedrals," he said. "You can come to Oakland and see this."

The cathedral's design has been noted for its yonic imagery.{{cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3021945/5-buildings-that-look-like-vaginas |title=6 Buildings That Look Like Vaginas |last=Dunne

|first=Carey |date= |website=Fast Company |publisher=CO.DESIGN |access-date=May 3, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/2008/06/06/yonic_building/ |title=And the winner is ... |last=Price |first=Catherine |date=June 6, 2008 |website=Salon |access-date=May 3, 2024}}

• List of Catholic cathedrals in the United States
• List of cathedrals in the United States

File:Oak Cathdrl Crypt 1.jpg

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• [http://www.ctlcathedral.org/ Official Cathedral Site]
• [http://www.oakdiocese.org Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland Official Site]

{{Roman Catholic churches in California}}

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Cathedrals in Oakland, California

Christ the Light, Cathedral of

Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland

Category:Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings

Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 2008

Category:2008 establishments in California

Category:Individual pipe organs in the United States