For Immediate Release: August 17, 2002
The Cathedral of St. John The Evangelist Awarded 2002 Interfaith Forum On Religion, Art and Architecture Design Award
MILWAUKEE, WI - The Cathedral of St. John The Evangelist underwent a complete renovation. It suffered a great fire in 1935, after which the interiors were rebuilt in 1943. The 1943 interior design removed the altar and clergy from the main worship space into a new apse, with no laity within 60' of the altar. The 1943 design also featured a 40' tall baldachin over the tabernacle, overwhelming every other feature in the Cathedral. Also, no adequate place for music was provided for. The primary goal of the renovation was to return the altar to a place of prominence in the main worship space, and allow a majority of worshippers to see, hear, and be in proximity to the center of liturgical action.
The altar was returned to the main nave, to a position close to the 1853 original. The new altar is composed almost entirely of white marble salvaged from four 1940's side altars, removed as part of the renovation. The altar's top was crafted from a single white marble slab from the same Italian quarry (Tiepo Cremo) as the original pieces. It has been placed on a new stepped marble platform to make it visually prominent and to provide for good sight lines. The altar is surrounded by a blood red floor with floor mounted candle stands. Suspended over the altar is a new cross, corpus, and corona, an original work of art by an internationally significant artist. The more centralized altar and individual chairs permit a variety of seating arrangements. Divider strips in the new terrazzo flooring reinforce the centralized altar, and provide guides for arranging chairs around it. The 1943 baldachin was removed from the apse as to not detract from the prominence of the altar. The tabernacle was placed in an original 1853 side chapel for private devotion, as called for in the Vatican document, Ceremonial of Bishops. The deep 1943 apse has become a place for music, with enough space for the Cathedral choir of 50, a new organ, and an orchestra.
A new font was designed for the space, and placed just inside the main entrance. Its position and scale serve as an explicit reminder of baptism to all who enter and leave. Again using salvaged marble, an existing bowl was drilled out to allow water to flow down into a new adult immersion font lined with green granite. The pool is guarded by salvaged marble balusters.
A new ambo was also crafted of marble, with carving suggesting the form of an ancient scroll partly unrolled. A new Bishops Cathedra was also designed, composed entirely of salvage from carved marble communion rails removed and stored in 1970. A minor version of this chair serves for the presider.
A day chapel, which the church had previously lacked, was designed for space that had been a vesting sacristy. It is lit by restored hanging light fixtures and stained glass windows. Additionally, a reconciliation chapel was created in a former chapel at the terminus of one of the side aisles.
The Cathedral received entirely new lighting, sound, and mechanical systems as part of the renovation, with an emphasis placed on using these systems to support the activities of the mass. In addition, the 1853 brick exterior was tuck pointed, cleaned, repaired, and wood details repainted.
HGA Contact: Julie Luers (612) 758-4000 e-mail JLuers@hga.com
Media Contact: Susan Evans, Evans Larson(612) 338-6999 e-mail susan@evanslarson.com