As the first Roman Catholic cathedral erected in the western United States in 30 years, it is expected to serve not only as a sacred space but as a major tourist attraction.
“The dynamic, contemporary design has virtually no right angles, and many of the floor surfaces are sloped or ramped,” says project manager Nick Roberts of Leo A. Daly, the Los Angeles-based firm serving as executive architect. “This geometry contributes to the cathedral’s feeling of mystery, but [also] presents challenges for the construction documents.