Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is located in downtown Los Angeles near the historic center of the city, where civic and religious architecture reflects the development of modern cultural institutions in southern California. Completed in 2002 and designed by architect Rafael Moneo, the cathedral serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, one of the largest dioceses in the United States.
The cathedral replaced the earlier Cathedral of Saint Vibiana, which was damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The contemporary design incorporates geometric forms and natural lighting intended to create a contemplative interior environment consistent with modern liturgical architecture.
The structure illustrates the continuing importance of religious institutions in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and reflects architectural experimentation characteristic of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century civic design.
