New structural glass wall and sliding glass doors form part of major conservation work at one of New York’s most famous cathedrals.

Glass Magazine Award – Most Innovative Interior Glass Rails, Walls and Doors 2018

Perhaps the most recognisable Roman Catholic building in the United States, the Cathedral of St. Patrick is one of New York’s most visited landmarks. Completed in 1878, it recently underwent extensive renovation following decades of gradual decline. Surfaces have been preserved inside and out, with conservation work including marble, slate decorative woodwork, cast stone and stained glass.

Eckerlsey O’Callaghan engineered two major new glass elements as part of the restoration scheme; sliding glass doors, which allow the cathedral’s original bronze entrance doors to remain open without affecting the internal environment, and an interior glass wall, which provides acoustic separation between the Lady Chapel and the main cathedral space.

The motorized glass doors use a system by Vitrocsa, clad in bronze to match the existing finishes. When open, the doors slide into pockets within the wall, becoming completely invisible to respect the surrounding historical fabric.

The arched Lady Chapel structural glass wall stands 47 feet tall and 24 feet wide, consisting of three triple-ply heat strengthened laminate glass panels, supported by a horizontal laminated glass beam. Each panel weighs approximately 2270 kilogrammes. There is a bronze-framed glass vestibule beneath the glass beam.

Location
Manhattan, NY

Client
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York

Architect
Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects