Basilica of St. Lawrence
asheville, North Carolina
The Basilica of Saint Lawrence was designed and constructed by Rafael Guastavino, an architect and master builder who emigrated from Spain in 1881. Guastavino’s signature ability to design and construct domes, ceiling vaults, and staircases using an ancient system of thin tiles resulted in over 400 commissions in New York City alone, gaining him international as well as national recognition.
His work at Biltmore in the 1890s brought him to North Carolina where he later settled, and led to his offer to design a new church for his Asheville parish. His 1907-09 Spanish Baroque brick church is a distinctive feature of the Asheville skyline, but most notable is Guastavino’s large elliptical dome, spanning 58 feet by 82 feet within the brick, stone, and tile structure. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance, the basilica is considered one of Asheville’s most significant buildings, second only to Biltmore.
The JKOA project team of architects, historians, engineers, conservators, and craftsmen prepared an Historic Structure Report, which included an extensive condition assessment of the interior and exterior of the church and its 1920s rectory and cost estimates for repair. As an initial step, hybrid photogrammetry was coordinated with AutoCAD drawings and supplemented by rectified color photographs. With this documentation in hand, JKOA performed an exhaustive survey of existing conditions. We were assisted in this effort by rope access specialists with expertise in Guastavino structures, who used tablet computers to input observed conditions directly into the AutoCAD files while rappelling down the façade.
The team’s MEP engineer documented and assessed the existing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems and made recommendations for repair and replacement. The stained glass conservator surveyed and assessed the historic German stained glass windows, and the architectural conservator addressed the wealth of interior finishes, including decorative painting, polychromatic mosaic tile, and terrazzo flooring. The structural engineer focused on critical structural issues, including the iron tension ring around the base of the elliptical dome, and observed deflection in shallow tile vaults.
During the assessment, significant life-safety conditions of the masonry were discovered that led to an immediate intervention to stabilize conditions. This effort included selective removal of loose masonry and sculptural terra cotta elements, and installation of protective netting at the front portico and along parapet walls.
With completion of the HSR as a guide for restoration efforts, the JKOA team will conduct predesign services of material testing and analysis prior to preparation of construction documents. Saint Lawrence is working with Partners for Sacred Places, a national organization dedicated to the sound stewardship of older sacred places, on a fundraising feasibility study to guide the capital campaign for this important project.
Restoration is expected to begin in 2021. Exterior work includes repairs to the copper roof, the redesign of the roof gutters, downspouts and subgrade drainage system, the cleaning of corrosion on sections of the dome’s steel tension ring, and the repair, cleaning and repointing of the masonry. On the interior, work includes the restoration of over thirty stained glass windows, repair of the terrazzo floor, cleaning of the polychrome decorative interior tiles, redesign of the HVAC system, and the addition of an accessible restroom.
Project services
Architecture
Historic preservation
Rope access
Photogrammetry / documentation drawings
Historical research
Condition assessment
Building archaeology and forensics
Materials testing and conservation
Stained glass conservation
Structural engineering
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering
Environmental testing and analysis
Construction administration
Cost estimating
press
St. Lawrence Basilica earns national, state preservation awards