The Cathedral of the Holy Cross, consecrated in 1875, is New England’s largest Catholic church and had gone without renovations for decades. With numerous repairs needed, Cardinal Sean O’Malley considered rejuvenating the entire Cathedral after seeing another church’s illuminated stained glass. ELKUS|MANFREDI ARCHITECTS latched onto that idea, designing a comprehensive renovation that brings new life and light to the holy space—inside and out.
A complete lighting redesign was paramount to rejuvenating the space. This included backlighting the stained glass windows and lighting the façade to add exterior visibility and drama. The design team relied on historical photos and a 3D digital model developed from laser scans to guide the placement of energy-efficient lighting to brighten the interior, as well as safety improvements to bring the historic building to modern standards.
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