BUILT FROM THE HEART LOU ASTORINO’S VATICAN CHAPEL

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 serve a higher power. For Lou Astorino, a Pittsburgh native and Squirrel Hill resident, that call came in 1993 when a cardinal from the Vatican asked him to design a new chapel in Vatican City. The chapel was meant for visiting clergy, including the cardinals who gather on rare occasions to elect the next pope. Awed by this responsibility, Astorino set about designing a space suitable for this weighty purpose.

The chapel also had to fit the landscape of Vatican City. Located in the center of Rome, the Vatican is rich in architectural history. Its most recognizable landmark is the massive St. Peter’s Basilica. The land set aside for the new chapel did not allow such a grandiose structure. Its small, triangular plot was squeezed between an ancient stone wall and a brand-new building that served as a hotel. For Astorino, the challenge became the inspiration. He asked, “What did God do with the triangle?” He found the answer in the repeating patterns of nature and the Holy Trinity at the heart of Christianity.

The triangle became the basis for the entire design, from the intricate patterns on the marble floor to the elegant lighting system in the ceiling. The building also pays homage to the history that surrounds it. One side is made of glass to allow visitors to see the historical Leonine wall that runs beside it. Yet the chapel is a thoroughly modern design that reflects modern sensibilities.

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

could do anything so unique.” Considering the one-of-akind chapel he created in Vatican City, one might argue otherwise.

Remarkably, Astorino began his work at the Vatican as a consultant on the neighboring hotel, rather than the chapel. When those plans were not accepted, he was understandably disappointed. The invitation to build the chapel soon followed, though, and Lou experienced the familiar adage that ‘when one door closes, another one opens.’ The chapel was an unexpected opportunity that he wholeheartedly embraced.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, as the building is named, officially opened in 1996. Astorino wanted visitors to experience a wave of emotion when they pass through its wood and stained glass doors. He hoped that the space would bring them closer to God. He did not expect that the pope would lead mass there on a daily basis, as Pope Francis has done since 2013. In addition, Vatican staff, whether gardeners or cardinals, pray in the chapel. Twenty-five years after its construction, the chapel stands as the only structure in Vatican City built by an American architect. In contrast, Pittsburgh is blessed with many projects that Astorino and his architectural firm designed, including PNC Park and UPMC Children’s Hospital. But it is Astorino who feels blessed and humbled by the honor of designing the chapel. To him, it was never a business project. It was an act of faith, felt deeply in his heart.

BRING ON THE LIGHT

PITTSBURGH CRECHE

During the holiday season, downtown Pittsburgh is home to another of Lou Astorino’s projects: the Pittsburgh Crèche. This more-than-life-sized Nativity scene has been adorning the plaza of the U.S. Steel tower in wintertime since 1999. After observing the crèche at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Astorino set about commissioning a similar one for Pittsburgh, turning to the Italian sculptor of the Vatican’s figures to produce versions for Pittsburgh. Closer to home, local nuns made the figures’ clothing, one of many ways that the crèche has become part of the community. Another is the annual installation by the Pittsburgh Carpenters Union. Each year, the dedication ceremony on Light Up Night brings together people from multiple religious denominations to usher in a joyous season.