PROJECT INFORMATION

Located across from the World Trade Center in New York City, the original St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only building other than the World Trade Center Complex itself to be immediately and completely destroyed by the September 11 attacks in 2001. Years later, the church has finally been re-built and is the only non-secular building at ground zero. World-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava designed the church and drew inspiration from the 40 windows in the Cathedral Church of Hagia Sophia, and the marble in the Church of Our Savior in Chora. The look of the church pays respect to liturgical Greek Orthodox traditions, while representing 21^st century design elements. The new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine is both a space for spiritual worship, and a space for reflection and remembrance for the lives lost on 9/11. The laminated stone/glass panels on the façade represents the church’s positive, open, and honorable relationship with the rest of the World Trade Center Memorial site as well as the Lower Manhattan community

SURFACES AND GLASS & GLAZING PROJECT SCOPE

MG McGrath worked on the exterior of the church fabricating and installing nearly every part of the stone facade along with the custom welded and painted metal cross atop the church. Our team fabricated and installed the church’s 8,100-square-foot custom exterior enclosure with a stone/glass/stone layered rainscreen facade system. The translucent nature of the material allows for beautiful backlighting to shine through it at night. The copula of the church features 40 individual natural-light skylights as well as radiused windows and doors. We also fabricated and installed a white blast-rated curtain wall system with matching doors, bullet-resistant glass, and stone laminated glass with a custom cross pattern cut into it