Architecture and Design
Audie Santos
5/28/13
May 28th, 2013
Field Trip-Location: St. Mary's Cathedral, San Fransisco California
Today, there were multiple destinations for our architecture longing class. But for now, the most notable piece of architecture that I found the most interesting is the Saint Mary's Cathedral on 1111 Gough Street. This was the very first stop on our field trip, and a very memorable one indeed. Just a glance out of a car window will make feel tiny and you will realize the gargantuan proportions of this building compared to a single human being. Upon getting closer you will notice the unique tower-esque structure on the roof, thus establishing symmetry. Above the entrance is a large depiction of Jesus Christ and his followers.
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| The average person is approximately 2/3 the size of one of the doors located at the very bottom of the picture |
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| Once you enter, you are greeted by a large Baptismal tub |
The cathedral is brilliantly lighted and can seat about 2500 with another 1500 standing in the back. There is a large pyramid that is supported by 4 pillars. The pyramid also contains skylights and about 1500 triangles, each one supporting the other, making them very stable shapes. On the right, there is a very large organ, that is played by a control panel located by a nearby bench. The sound of the organ and voice of the priests enunciates because of the pyramid's hollow shape. So no surround sound system is required.
| A Picture of one of the pillars on the left |
As I said before, triangles are a very geometrically sound shape, so they are relatively stable, hence why the four pillars are composed of triangles. The pillars are 9 stories deep and penetrate all the way to bedrock. This church has also survived the Loma Prieta Earthquake, with the aluminun rod chandiler only shaking. The texture of the pillars is very smooth, as if it could glide across the surface of the Earth.
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