The great glass rhombus in California’s Garden Grove is an unusual postmodern church designed by Philip Johnson. On closer inspection, it is noticeable that the church was designed in the shape of a four-pointed star with flattened arms on the sides. An even bigger surprise awaits inside, as the mirrored façade conceals a transparent interior. More than 10,000 glass tiles are attached to the steel skeleton using silicone adhesive. Behind the idea of the Crystal Cathedral is the charismatic pastor Robert Schuller, who hosted the Christian TV show ‘Hour of Power’ for several decades. Unfortunately, the church’s financial problems and a decline in the number of believers in Orange County forced the pastor to sell the building to a local Catholic parish.
Car Church
In the 1950s, California became a paradise for motorway, bypass and car users. It could even be argued that the car culture spilled over into most areas of life for average Californians. This culture was well understood by Robert Schuller, an Iowa transplantologist who had been preaching to local communities since the beginning of the decade. In time, Schuller came up with the idea of a church operating on the same principle as a car theatre.
His ‘car church’ proved to be a success, and the steadily increasing number of believers prompted the pastor to organise an official church headquarters. The Schuller couple considered several locations within Orange County, but ultimately decided on a large plot of land located outside Anaheim. It was in nearby Garden Grove that the first chapel designed by Richard Neutra was built. The architect of Austrian origin designed a modernist church with a large glass window on the side of the car park. In this way, Schuller was able to continue the original idea of a ‘car church’, and new worshippers were constantly arriving at the chapel, thanks to the nearby Santa Ana Highway.
In the following years, the lot began to fill with more buildings forming the campus of Garden Grove Protestant Reformed Church. Classrooms and office buildings were built, but the pastor’s ambitions went beyond the usual Sunday services. In 1970, Schuller began broadcasting the Hour of Power programme, which quickly became a hit. Over time, viewership stabilised at 2 million regular viewers, further making the already popular church famous. The success of the programme meant new worshippers were arriving at the Neutra Project chapel, and space was beginning to run out.
Crystal Cathedral: “Let the whole be made of glass”
Seven years after the first episode of Hour of Power was broadcast, construction began on a new, larger chapel from which to broadcast the programme. This task was commissioned from the experienced architect Philip Johnson, who was a specialist in modernist architecture (mainly International style). The architect’s most famous work, the Glass House, which you can read about HERE, is characterised by its simplicity and the use of large panes of glass throughout the structure. A similar idea was behind the construction of a new chapel called Crystal Cathedral. Johnson is supposed to have said to Schuller: “Let the whole thing be made of glass”.
The glass block in the shape of a four-pointed star with flattened arms on the sides rises to almost 40 metres. More than 10,000 panels of glass were attached to the steel geodetic frame using silicone adhesives. On the one hand, this solution was a form of earthquake protection, while on the other it was an aesthetic measure that eliminated the need for protruding joints. It is worth noting that the lightweight construction of the skeleton made of welded segments accelerated the construction process. The work was completed after three years in 1980.
On the outside, the glass was covered with a mirror-like coating that reduced the amount of sunlight entering the building by 80 per cent, in order to avoid a greenhouse effect that would have made it unbearable to stay in the church. By far the most spectacular part is the interior. Johnson wanted believers to feel as if they were surrounded by the sky on all sides. The 126 × 63 m building offered as many as 2,736 seats, making it one of the largest churches in the country. Even more people could listen to the sermons from the large car park right in front of the cathedral.
Entering the heavens
The interior is surprisingly unusual. For example, the huge 27-metre high doors swing open as if in a hangar. Upon entering, the visitor’s eyes are greeted by a huge organ with more than 17,000 pipes and five manuals. One of the largest organs in the world was founded by Hazel Wright from Chicago, who, together with her husband, listened to Schuller preach on television. The instrument, made by the Fratteli Ruffatti company of Padua, cost around $2 million.
At first glance, it may appear that the concrete slopes of the balconies are supported by the glass and steel frame of the building. In fact, the concrete pillars support the heavier elements of the interior, which adds to the cathedral’s earthquake resistance. The granite lectern is also an interesting part of the design, along with the almost six-metre high cross.
Ten years after the completion of the Crystal Cathedral, a bell tower, also designed by Johnson, was still built next to the chapel. The Prayer Spire was made of steel and was topped by a carillon of 52 bells. The bell tower was Schuller’s last major investment in Crystal Cathedral.
From Wittenberg to Rome
The new millennium brought with it many demographic and cultural changes for Southern California. The influx of Hispanics into Orange County increased the importance of Catholics in the region. In turn, Protestantism, usually identified with whites, began to slowly lose its influence to the Roman Catholic Church. For the Schuller family, this meant the beginning of problems in financing their activities. Such a large venue and television broadcasts required a lot of resources.
In 2010. Robert Schuller resigned from his position as pastor due to financial troubles and an ‘unfriendly atmosphere’ in the management of the television programme. The church declared bankruptcy and the group responsible for ‘Hour of Power’ sued the church council. It turned out that the full debt amounted to $55 million. A year later, the Catholic Diocese of Orange County made an offer to buy the cathedral along with the campus. Ultimately, the Protestants agreed to sell their cathedral to the Catholics for $57.5 million.
From the diocese’s point of view, purchasing the existing building was more cost-effective than building such a large facility from scratch. Interestingly, the change of ownership also involved a new décor. The cathedral reminded Catholics of a large shopping mall. For this reason, the bishop commissioned the architects to make numerous changes. Above all, the glass was covered with white panels, letting in little light. Despite Johnson’s assumptions, it was getting warm in the original cathedral and the sunlight was able to blind the faithful. In addition, air conditioning was also installed and the altar, including the reliquary, was replaced. Relics of saints from the USA, Mexico, Korea and Vietnam were transferred to the renovated cathedral. It is also worth mentioning that Hazel Wright’s unique organ was sent to Italy for repairs before returning to California in 2022.
Christ Cathedral
The new interior, more suited to Catholics, still serves the faithful today. The building’s name was changed to Christ Cathedral so that the building would be associated with another denomination. The changes removed some of Johnson’s assumptions about the design. Entering Christ Cathedral no longer involves ‘stepping into the heavens’ as with Crystal Cathedral. Nonetheless, the new owners take care of the famous architect’s work and the church’s façade remains unchanged. It is also worth noting that the Schullers continue to operate through Robert’s grandson Bobby. The Protestant church has moved to a small chapel in nearby Irvine. Although not much remains of the televangelist’s legacy, the facade of Christ Cathedral is a reminder of the Schullers’ former glory days.
Source: OC Catholic, Johnson Fain
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