Philip Johnson and John Burgee designed the Crystal Cathedral for Robert H. Schuller. Groundbreaking was in 1977, and the history section gives completion in 1980, while the introduction says 1981. It is a modern building of reflective glass walls, 415 feet long, 215 feet wide and 128 feet high, seating 2,248. About 10,000 glass panes are attached with silicone-based glue, and the article says no crystal glass was used.
The Diocese of Orange bought it in a sale that closed on February 3, 2012. It closed in November 2013 for renovation by Johnson Fain, with seismic retrofitting and angled quatrefoil petals to reduce heat and glare. Bronze doors replaced the original glass ones.
It was rededicated as Christ Cathedral on July 17, 2019, and the work was formally complete in October 2024.
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