The Cathedral at Saint Augustine, Florida
was designed by Benninger as an undergraduate student at the University
of Florida. It is a pure, sculptural cube. One wall is an articulated
frame containing the fourteen chapels for the Stations of the Cross,
an elevator and large ramp which moves against the back wall. The altar
is lit by a simple side-light device and there is a large, circular
skylight over the nave. The entire ensemble floats on pillars over a
reflecting pool. This 1960's design represents "modern architecture"
at its best, in its search for functionality and simplicity, but it
also is a powerful sculptural statement. The fusing of these two realities
into a physical whole is a heroic achievement. It pre-stages future
works!
