Cathedral of our Lady of the
Angels
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The ultra-modern
Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels at 555 West Temple in
downtown Los Angeles opened in 2002. It was built to
replace the St. Vibiana cathedral damaged in the 1994
earthquake. St. Vibiana had been the seat of the
Diocese of Los Angeles since 1854.
(The new Cathedral is located
one block north of the Disney
Concert Hall.) |
The cathedral was designed by
Spanish architect Raphael Moneo and caused considerable initial
controversy --not the least of which was that it is a departure
from the classic Mission Architecture in California. The
cost was also a source of consternation by some.
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Famed artist Robert
Graham designed the statue of the Virgin Mary which is
above the entry to the cathedral. (Other works by
Graham are in various locations in downtown Los Angeles
including inside the Wells Fargo Building and at the top
of the Library
Steps.)
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The Cathedral
sits beside the 101 Freeway and a sound-mitigating wall
with windows was erected around the plaza to keep down
the noise. On the windows are enormous etchings of
angels.
(As an aside: Across the freeway from
the Cathedral is a huge modern gray building; it is a
high school. I won't even bother to post a photo
of it. It's hideous.)
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While so much
of the Cathedral is ultra-modern, Southern Californian
and Mexican traditions
have been honored. Our Lady of Guadaloupe has her
own shrine on one side of the plaza in front of
the Cathedral.
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Most of the
interior is relatively unadorned--no stained glass
windows, for example-- but some of the ornate art and
relics from St. Vibiana's were moved to the new
Cathedral.
The interior has both
grandeur and a sense of warmth on a human scale.
Here is the official
website for the Cathedral.
| Preview
the Downtown Los Angeles Public
Art Walking Tour. It begins at the
Disney Concert Hall -- a
block and a half away from the Cathedral. |
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