UNUSUAL FEATURES AND DESIGN CHALLENGES

The last and most difficult challenge was to construct all of these particular elements with total weight of over eight ton and fabricate this over stairs that lead to the crypt in which the former Cardinals and Bishops are buried (See Photo E). As per the pictures, this step area had to maintain certain height for future burial processions into the crypt (See Photo F). Constructing such a heavy piece over stairs required exceptional engineering and structural support, while at the same time, maintaining and not losing anything architecturally and keeping the designs with the same intent of "always being there" (See Photo G).

Another minor challenge to this particular project was the candlesticks that adorn the new tabernacle. The client had one pair (two pieces) of candlesticks that he wanted to use for the overall design, and yet the client wanted a total of six pieces to be displayed and used for adoration. By using the lost wax process, our firm made a mold of one of the two existing candlesticks. From this mold, two other pair (four total) were casted so as to match all of the candlesticks accordingly. The result was six beautifully constructed, brand new candlesticks made out of bronze with gold finish (See Photo H). A second minor challenge was to adorn the existing ivory crucifix which is suspended in the white gold mosaic niche. The challenge was to create a material behind this crucifix that did it justice but provided a material that did not deflect or diminish the beauty of the crucifix or the new tabernacle. Our firm designed a white gold Venetian mosaic in a satin finish that enabled the luminosity of light and the beauty of mosaic but did not reflect any bright light. The end result complemented and augmented the beauty and uniqueness of the shrine. The materials of Botticino marble, the combination of white and yellow gold mosaic, the bronze gold-finished candlesticks, and the gold finished tabernacle were elements difficult to combine and yet, our firm used them accordingly and properly.