Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
Milwaukee, WisconsinAs the principal or "mother" Church of the diocese and the site of the official chair of the archbishop, Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is a place of ceremony and celebration, repose and reflection, a haven for the downtrodden and the origin of benevolent acts that serve both the Cathedral parish and the community in which it resides.
In the more than 150 years since the Cathedral opened its doors to the city of Milwaukee, it has undergone several changes and alterations. However, it is the current transformation that returns the Cathedral to its rightful place as a "Jewel of the City"; a center of worship, culture, art and beauty.
The team leading both the restoration and rejuvenation of the Church had two main goals: to restore the worship environment to its past glory and to make the Church more accessible to the community at large by integrating the complex into the life of the city. To meet these twin goals, designer James Shields and others on the HGA team worked closely with the Cathedral building committee to ensure that the Cathedral interior was a model of conformity to the directives of the liturgical documents of the Roman Catholic Church as promulgated by Vatican II.
related quote - National AIA Religious Art and Architecture Design Awards Jury
This is a dramatic transformation of a traditonal church form. It includes the successful placing of a contemporary sculpture in traditional worship environment. The illumination of architectural elements and the focal point is vey successful...Overall, the arrangement of the new floor plan is vey successful, and encourages participants to focus on the celegration of the Mass.