BUILT FROM THE
HEART
SQUIRREL HILL ARCHITECT LOU ASTORINO’S CHAPEL IN VATICAN CITY By Melissa Eppihimer
THERE ARE MOMENTS IN LIFE when we are called to
hotel. For Astorino, the challenge
serve a higher power. For Lou Astorino, a Pittsburgh
became the inspiration. He asked,
native and Squirrel Hill resident, that call came in 1993
“What did God do with the
when a cardinal from the Vatican asked him to design
triangle?” He found the answer
a new chapel in Vatican City. The chapel was meant
in the repeating patterns of nature
for visiting clergy, including the cardinals who gather
and the Holy Trinity at the heart of
on rare occasions to elect the next pope. Awed by this
Christianity.
responsibility, Astorino set about designing a space suitable for this weighty purpose.
The triangle became the basis for the entire design, from the intricate patterns on the marble floor to the
The chapel also had to fit the landscape of Vatican City.
elegant lighting system in the ceiling. The building also
Located in the center of Rome, the Vatican is rich in
pays homage to the history that surrounds it. One side
architectural history. Its most recognizable landmark is
is made of glass to allow visitors to see the historical
the massive St. Peter’s Basilica. The land set aside for the
Leonine wall that runs beside it. Yet the chapel is
new chapel did not allow such a grandiose structure. Its
a thoroughly modern design that reflects modern
small, triangular plot was squeezed between an ancient
sensibilities.
stone wall and a brand-new building that served as a The triangle also reminded the architect of his hometown, where three rivers meet. Lou grew up in Pittsburgh’s Manchester and Brookline neighborhoods in a family of Italian and Serbian descent. He later attended Carnegie Mellon University and Penn State University. He and his wife, Jean, have lived in Squirrel Hill since 2005. They find much to enjoy in the neighborhood, but an architect’s eye leads Lou to appreciate its residential buildings. “I love the diversity of the architecture. Nothing is the same,” he said. Asked what he would build to make a mark on the neighborhood, he replied, “Nothing. I don’t know if I
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