Posted on 6/8/2023
The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, affectionately nicknamed St. John the Unfinished, remains without a spire, its south transept, and fully-realized towers. Construction on the cathedral for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, began in 1892 and only two-thirds of the church was ever completed. Still, the complex is making progress. The cathedral, which by some measures is the largest in the world, has just completed a three-year-long, $17 million renovation to repair its dome.
Ennead Architects, alongside structural engineers Silman; Building Conservation Associates; and James R. Gainfort Consulting Architects, have refaced and restored the dome, which was a 1909 addition from Spanish-American architect and master builder Rafael Guastavino. The rounded top was a provisional design element spanning over the church’s four granite arches, occupyi...