St. Leon Cathedral of the Western Dioceses, Burbank, Calif.
Posted
12/7/2011
As the headquarters of
the Western Dioceses of the Armenian Church of North America, the
St. Leon Cathedral of the Western Dioceses in Burbank, Calif., was
an important project for an entire cultural community. The
cathedral represents California's Armenian community that has more
than 100 years of history tied into developing a life and cultural
identity in the United States. One of the earliest Armenian
communities sprang up in Fresno around 1871. With more than a
century's worth of history and belief, any new religious
establishment needed to reflect the history as well as the current
state of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
St. Leon continues to mixes the modern and traditional. The
church was consecrated in 2010 and the building's interior reflects
the faith of the community in the numerous stained glass windows
and icons within the cathedral. Like many parishes, the Armenian
Apostolic Church offers parishioners bible study, sacraments,
Sunday services, and Saturday or Sunday school for children.
Kaaren Khoudikian, with 2K Forum Inc., designed the church by
combining elements of Armenian and American culture. The base of
the church is built with stone imported from Armenia, symbolizing
the tradition of the Armenian church and its people. The upper
portion of the church utilizes modern materials, such as metal.
ATAS International Inc. supplied its 0.032-inch Dutch Seam (MRD150)
metal roof panels in Coppertone for the project.
Khoudikian notes, "The symbolic meaning … is that even though we
as people are old and traditional, we are also modern people, as
well." In addition to its aesthetic effects, Khoudikian explains
that metal was also chosen for its weatherability, watertightness,
durability and strength.
St. Leon Cathedral of the Western Dioceses, Burbank,
Calif.
Architect: 2K Forum Inc., Glendale, Calif.
Installer: Cal Pac Sheet Metal, Santa Ana,
Calif.
Distributor: Blue Diamond Supply, Grand Terrace,
Calif.
Metal roof panels: ATAS International Inc., Allentown,
Pa., www.atas.com