St. Thomas More Cathedral — O’Brien & Keane

St. Thomas More Cathedral celebrated its 50th anniversary with a major renovation that transformed its stature into one more fitting as the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.

The architectural firm of O’Brien & Keane was commissioned to renovate the building, which was completed in 1960. 

“During conversations with the client, the question became: ‘How does one convert a bland, aging structure into one that is memorable and of an elevated level, fit to be the seat of the bishop?’” says James Henry O’Brien, AIA, NCARB, president and co-founder of O’Brien & Keane.

The changes—deconstructing the architectural language of the original church and establishing a new expression while removing suboptimal features and adding new elements —reflect the dignity and pre-eminence of the building in the community, and in the cathedral’s capacity as its mother church, convey the cultural diversity of the diocese.

“We reimagined the building as a blank slate, leaving only the side walls, interior granite column cladding, terrazzo flooring in the nave and basic structure,” O’Brien says. “The few works of sacred art and the liturgical furnishings were set aside for repurposing on another project.”

The firm replaced the principal facades and roof, enlarged the windows and replaced nearly all the interior finishes.

The O’Brien & Keane plan also called for the reorganization and renovation of the sanctuary, new liturgical furnishings and the removal of non-contributing and distracting features.

“Options of towers or a dome were not permitted under the local zoning ordinance,” O’Brien says, “so the design effort turned toward the demolition and reconstruction of the principal facades.”

The renovation of the 14,750-square-foot cathedral was guided by the architecture of the time of its namesake, St. Thomas More, who lived in Tudor England and was martyred under the rule of King Henry VIII, and precedents from later revivals.

“Notably, the stonework and mixed masonry, oriel windows, tracery and buttresses found in the work of James Gamble Rogers in the early 20th century served as inspiration,” O’Brien says, adding that “key elements, such as large centrally placed windows and tracery, buttresses, projected oriel windows and parapets, were incorporated to announce the building’s renewal.”

The wood screen wall is a backdrop for the sanctuary and relocated tabernacle and is designed to eliminate the visual distraction of the choir loft above and behind the sanctuary without compromising acoustics.

“The scale, verticality and partial transparency of the sanctuary screen wall were conceived to pronounce the prominence and centrality of Christ’s passion on the cross and the Catholic belief in his presence among us,” O’Brien says. “Its vertical emphasis is intended to lift the eyes and hearts of the congregation heavenward and draw attention to the crucifix. The deep shadows cast on the space beyond lend a sense of transcendence and provide the necessary contrast to emphasize the stained-glass rose window.”

The architectural team created a new composition for the sanctuary area, formed of materials that declare its sacred nature, which is designated for holy rites and set apart from the nave on a raised platform. 

“The placement and contrast of the elements served to bring focus to the principal liturgical elements: the altar, tabernacle, cathedra and ambo,” O’Brien says.

The primary materials for the exterior are traditional: wood-mold brick, cast stone and tin/zinc-coated copper. The primary and stained-glass windows of the principal facades are set into the cast-stone tracery, while the clerestory and oriel windows are in aluminum frames.

The cathedral’s new entrance door is solid sapele, the interior walls and ceilings are plaster, with American black walnut paneling and trim in the sanctuary screen wall and oriel windows. The column cladding is Woodbury Gray granite.

The liturgical furnishings, designed by O’Brien & Keane, are made of Bianco Carrara C marble and Azul Macaubas quartzite and feature a carved motif that incorporates the Virigina state flower, the dogwood. 

The new oriel windows have iconography designed to engage the various cultural communities in the diocese.

The new architectural language extends to the interior – in the nave and transept end walls, the oriel windows and the wood screen wall, which  was inspired by rood screens of the Perpendicular Gothic period.

“Each group offered conceptual design direction and input for carved statues and stained-glass windows to reflect their heritage,” O’Brien says.

The sanctuary paving is arranged in a pattern of Bianco Gioia and Grigo Trambisera marbles with Azul Macaubas accents.

Some places and recesses are dimly illuminated or even hidden from view, fostering a feeling of mystery, while a new focused and controlled lighting system, designed by George Sexton Associates, provides areas of contrast and subtlety, shadows and brilliance.

The renovation, which took a year and a half, was completed just in time for the Jubilee celebration and dedication of the altar in 2024.  TB