Basilica of Saint Lawrence - sepia
by Joye Ardyn Durham
Title
Basilica of Saint Lawrence - sepia
Artist
Joye Ardyn Durham
Medium
Photograph - Photographs
Description
Rafael Guastavino, an architect and builder of Spanish origin, came to Asheville, North Carolina to work on the Biltmore House in the mid-1890Ős. Liking the area, he bought land and built a house near Black Mountain. In 1905, he joined forces with the local Catholic community and fellow architect, R. S. Smith, to design and build St. Lawrence Catholic Church. He has been credited with the revival of an ancient tile and mortar building system that had been used in Catalonia and other parts of Spain for centuries. In St. Lawrence, every horizontal surface in the building is made of this combination of tile and mortar. The Guastavino system represents a unique architectural treatment that has given America some of its most monumental spaces, including GrantŐs Tomb, the Great Hall at Ellis Island, Grand Central Station, Carnegie Hall and the chapel at West Point. The crypt of Signor Guastavino is located at the rear of the "Marian Chapel," to the left of the altar. From the foot of the main aisle, inside the church proper, one can realize the beauty of the ellipse and the wonder of the dome. It is built wholly of tiles and is entirely self-supporting. It has a clear span of 58 x 82 feet and is reputed to be the largest unsupported dome in North America.
Uploaded
September 16th, 2015
Statistics
Viewed 85 Times - Last Visitor from White Plains, NY on 03/27/2024 at 1:33 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Basilica of Saint Lawrence - sepia. Click here to post the first comment.