Crystal Cathedral

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The Crystal Cathedral
A Sanctuary of Light and Space, Grandeur and Intimacy

The breathtakingly beautiful Crystal Cathedral structure combines both the intimacy and form of much contemporary architecture with the grandeur and magnificence of medieval cathedrals. It is a concept that had never been tried before in church architecture, and has since heralded a new era of church architectural design. An embodiment of light and space, grandeur and intimacy, the glass structure is recognized the world over as an architectural treasure. It was featured recently alongside the Hagia Sofia, Notre Dame, St. Peter's Cathedral, and Barcelona's Segrada Familia in The History Channel's documentary "Building in the name of God."

Building History

Dr. Robert H. Schuller said, "When the local congregation reached 10,000 and we needed a bigger church building, I remembered how wonderful it had been at my little drive-in church (where the ministry began in 1955) where there had been no walls or ceiling-it was there I fell in love with the sky! And that's why we built the Crystal Cathedral with walls and a roof of glass-crystal-clear glass that lets the sun and sky sparkle through our wonderful sanctuary."

On September 14, 1980, in Garden Grove, Calif., Dr. Robert Schuller dedicated the Crystal Cathedral "To the Glory of Man for the Greater Glory of God."

Designed by American Institute of Architects' gold-medal winner, Philip Johnson, with his partner, John Burgee, Johnson has called the Crystal Cathedral his "capo lavoro"...the crowning achievement of his career...a dream fulfilled.

The Crystal Cathedral is also the fulfillment of a dream for Dr. Schuller. Since its opening, the Cathedral has been seen by millions around the world via the "Hour of Power" weekly TV program. Thousands visit the Crystal Cathedral each week, including a congregation of more than 10,000 members.

The Crystal Cathedral is the first great church designed and conceived to be a "studio" for televised congregational Christian worship. And, because of the exposure it receives from the "Hour of Power," it was soon noted by the international architectural community to be one of the most beautiful and truly creative structures in the world.

Building Specifications

The Crystal Cathedral spans a full 415-feet in length, 207-feet in width and 128-feet in height. The size of the Cathedral is enhanced by the all-glass covering that encloses the entire building. More than 10,000 windows of tempered, silver-colored glass are held in place by a lace-like frame of white steel trusses. These 16,000 trusses were specifically fabricated for this engineering feat. The sanctuary seats 2,736 persons including 1,761 seats on the main floor, 346 seats in the East and West Balconies, and 283 in the South Balcony.

More than 1,000 singers and instrumentalists can perform in the 185-foot wide chancel area. The chancel area is constructed of Rosso Alicante marble, quarried in Spain and cut and polished in Italy. The altar table and pulpit are made of granite, and the 17-foot tall wooden cross is antiqued with 18-karat gold leaf.

In addition, two 90-foot tall doors open electronically behind the pulpit to allow the morning sunlight and warm breezes to enhance the worship services held at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. every Sunday morning. The entire service can be viewed on a giant indoor Sony "Jumbotron" television screen which measures 11 1/2' X 15'.

Organ

The Cathedral pipe organ, made possible by a gift from the late Hazel Wright of Chicago, is the third largest church pipe organ in the world. Conceived by famed organ virtuoso Virgil Fox, the organ unites the Aeolian-Skinner organ from Avery Fisher Hall of Lincoln Center in New York City with the Ruffatti organ built for the former sanctuary in 1977.

There have been numerous additions and refinements by noted organ builders. There are 287 ranks of pipes and over 16,000 individual pipes, all playable from two five-manual consoles. White oak cases hold the nearly 11,000 pipes in the chancel area. Included there is a rank of forty-four 32-foot pedal pipes, originally in the organ at Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California-a gift of the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church of La Crescenta. The South Balcony divisions of the organ contain 5,000 pipes, and in the East and West Balconies are 549 horizontal trumpet pipes-the largest collection of such pipes in the world.

Balconies

Huge, white concrete columns, the largest ever poured, hold the balconies in place. About 10,000 yards of concrete, equal to 20,000 tons, were poured for the foundation of the structure. All visible concrete has a white marbleized appearance. The columns are hinged at the balcony, and/or foundation, to permit movement and to withstand an earthquake of the magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter Scale, and wind tunnel tests of 100-miles per hour.

Cooling

The Crystal Cathedral is not air conditioned. Rather, it is cooled by fresh air flowing from the ground level through clerestory windows which open and close thermostatically. Heat flows from underground pipes to regulate temperature in the cooler months.

Bell Tower & Spire

On the tenth anniversary of the Cathedral, celebrated on September 16, 1990, a beautiful 236-foot Bell Tower was dedicated. One of Orange County's tallest structures, the tower is comprised of highly polished, mirrored quality, stainless steel prisms forming a spectacular spire which catches the light from all directions. This Philip Johnson-designed completion of the Crystal Cathedral houses a 52-bell carillon named in honor of Dr. Schuller's wife, Arvella Schuller. At the base of the structure is an intimate prayer chapel named the Mary Hood Chapel. Inscribed above the marble walls of the chapel are the words "My House Shall Be Called A House of Prayer For All People." The spire has been named the Crean Tower honoring John and Donna Crean who provided a large gift to begin construction in 1988.

Campus Statuary

• THE GOOD SHEPHERD by Henry Van Wolf-1969
• JOB by Dallas Anderson-1983
• LOVE WITHOUT CONDEMNATION by Dallas Anderson-1984
• MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND FISHES, "THE SMILING JESUS" by John Soderberg, 1997
• MILESTONES AND MIRACLES by J. Seward Johnson, 1998
• ETERNAL EAGLE by Michael Maiden 1999
• THE JOY OF GIVING (THE WIDOW AND HER MITE) by Mehri Danielpour Weil, 1999
• I FOUND HIM (CHRIST WITH THE LOST SHEEP) by De l'Esprie, 2000
• PEACE BE STILL by Dallas Anderson, 2000
• MOSES by John Soderberg, 2000
• THE PRODIGAL SON by De l'Esprie, 2002
• CHILDREN, ALWAYS THE FUTURE OF THE FAITH by John Soderberg, 2003