Filling the Gap Between Heaven and Earth: One Building Two Sides

In this paper, the meaning of various symbols and rituals threaded into sacred architecture are explored. Spatial dynamics, forms, and aesthetics are analyzed as a space transforms from a Protestant megachurch to a Catholic Cathedral. Featuring a case study of the Christ Cathedral, formally known as the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, this research reveals how the act of worship is shaped by the architectural design in which it occurs. This study recognizes how stakeholders make sense of social, spatial, and spiritual components in a transitional place of worship; how the Protestant congregation and Catholic Diocese interact and how this transition effects the continuity of the Christian community. In this space, one building reveals two sides (formally Protestant, currently Catholic); the ritual sequencing, emblematic form, and symbolic aesthetics of the built form act as mediator of social practices of spiritual/religious practices of higher powers. Findings reveal ways that a physical place is designed to connect humans to their heavenly realms.

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