Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Cardinal Sean O’Malley asked Elkus Manfredi Architects to proceed to the design of a comprehensive renovation and bring new life and light to the holy space of New England’s largest Catholic church, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, a true landmark in Boston’s South End.
The church, originally consecrated in 1875, was built according to the Gothic Revival style using local Roxbury puddingstone and gray limestone trim but had not had a comprehensive renovation in decades.
The project has been awarded a 2021 AmericanAward for Architecture from The Chicago Athenaeum and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
A complete lighting redesign was paramount to rejuvenating the space which included backlighting the stained glass windows and lighting the façade to add exterior visibility and drama as well as strategically integrating energy-efficient lighting to brighten the interior.
The design team relied on historical photos and a 3D digital model developed from the construction team’s laser scans to guide the precise placement of lighting and safety improvements in the historic building.
Additional interior renovations included:
• reconfiguring the sanctuary platforms, projecting the altar closer to congregants
• refreshing and lightening interior finishes
• respectfully integrating modern infrastructural upgrades and ADA improvements
• creating new liturgical appointments to match the original marble reredos—replacing fixtures not original to the Cathedral
• installing durable natural stone floors in the sanctuary/nave
• refurbishing original oil-painted Stations of the Cross, restoring murals in the apse ceiling, and replicating sanctuary wall patterns by referencing black and white historic photos
• restoring gold accents on column capitals and adding bead edge to ceiling truss trims.
Elkus Manfredi Architects achieved the comprehensive transformation of the Cathedral through a unifying renovation design much greater than the sum of its parts.
As a result, today the church once again stands as a beacon to the community.
Project: Cathedral of the Holy Cross
Architects: Elkus Manfredi Architects
Original Architect: Patrick Keely (1867)
Architectural Art Restoration: Ever Green Architectural Arts
Client: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Contractor: Suffolk
Structural Engineer: McNamara Salvia
Photographers: Robert Benson
