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Diocese of Orange to Reveal Cathedral Design Plans

September 08, 2016 at 6:19 pm
    Initial Campus Renovations and Upgrades Garner a Prestigious AIA Award; Future Concept Presented in Virtual Reality Garden grove, calif., (Sept. 7, 2016) The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange acquired the former Crystal Cathedral and campus in 2012. General repairs and upgrades to many of the buildings as required by construction codes and general use requirements have been ongoing. The Diocese will host a media event September 14 at 3 p.m. to review what has already been achieved and to disclose the important work ahead; the refurbishing and interior redesign of Christ Cathedral to accommodate its use as a Catholic church and in keeping with the future needs of what is now the nation’s 12th largest Catholic community. “To date our focus has been largely restorative and in keeping with requisite engineering and other pragmatic construction demands. Much has been accomplished and we are now ready to disclose the future design concepts for Christ Cathedral itself,” said Christ Cathedral Rector and Episcopal Vicar, Rev. Christopher Smith. In recognition of the ongoing design process and completed restoration work, upgrades and other architectural achievements the American Institute for Architects’ Orange County President, Mark Paone, AIA, will present the Diocese with a prestigious award at the event. “AIA’s mission is to encourage advancements in design and construction applications while addressing the cultural, social and community needs of any building. The Diocese of Orange has fulfilled these criteria and more. We are eager to see the next phase completed – and the newest iterations of some of America’s most iconic structures,” said Paone. Richard Heim, special construction advisor to Bishop Kevin Vann and the Diocese will present a review of the construction timeline overall, what has been completed and other progress details. The Diocese of Orange has been committed to preserving the architectural legacy began by Rev. Schuller, while adhering to both mandated repairs and modern construction techniques. While the campus buildings may appear similar as before, many critical improvements have been made. Mr. Heim will review these changes and describe the next phase for construction. Understanding the ethic of any design is central to understanding the finished work. The difficult challenge of melding inspiration with legacy, ethics with pragmatism, modernity with liturgical compliance and the vision of all those involved with this important diocesan program has been accepted by Scott Johnson, FAIA. “Johnson Fain have managed to listen and to hear and understand the many contributory voices having suggested how our wonderful new cathedral can best accommodate present and future diocesan needs. This has not been an easy task. Scott Johnson has masterfully crafted an architectural approach that meets practical demands and more importantly – fits with emotional precision the Diocesan vision for Christ Cathedral and his own unique professional vision,” Rev. Smith added. Scott Johnson will review the design approach. The visualization of his work and Bishop Vann’s goal of creating a worship space that is respectful of the building’s past and encouraging of all future worshippers – will be presented in VIRTUAL REALITY. Members of the media and other attendees will be able to experience the interior design using VR viewers to see the architectural renderings ‘come to life.’ The presenting of the AIA award, Scott Johnson’s discussion of the design approach and the use of Virtual Reality technology to further explain future progress represent one interpretation of diocesan vision. Mark Dubeau, CAO/CFO of the Diocese of Orange will also present the Diocese’s plan for fiscal discipline and review the budget envelope. His presentation will be followed by a discussion of fundraising and other efforts to address the real-world needs of bringing Christ Cathedral forward and ready for use by 2019. “It is appropriate that we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Diocese of Orange by announcing these significant achievements and sharing what comes next. On behalf of Bishop Vann and all connected to the cathedral project, I am honored to recognize Mr. Johnson’s inestimable contributions and those of the many craftsmen and workers having already made such great improvements to our cathedral complex,” Rev. Smith concluded. NOTE: A simpler VIRTUAL REALITY presentation will be available to those attending the diocesan anniversary celebration, September 18. The VR ‘tour’ will be presented using standard smart phone 2D technology and low-cost viewers. “We want as many people to see and experience what the future holds – and VR enables us to do this. Anyone with a smart phone will be able to download the VR program, slip their phone into a cardboard viewing device and get a sense of Christ Cathedral’s future,” added Diocese of Orange Communications Director, Ryan Lilyengren.   Pastoral Center: Communications Department 13280 Chapman Ave. Garden Grove, CA 92840 office: 714-282-3075         fax: 714-282-3029