Existing building

St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Project Goal:
The goal was to make all floors of the church handicap accessible while preserving the design integrity of this historic cathedral. The elderly members of this traditional Russian Orthodox Church had difficulty accessing the toilet rooms, which were in the basement, reached only by stairs, and also the choir loft, reached by a narrow, winding stairway. Also, the church did not have easy access from the parking lot.

Outcome:
An addition was designed to allow elevator access to all levels including the choir loft, the basement toilet rooms, and grade access to the parking lot. Now people with limited mobility can more fully participate in the life of the congregation. The addition’s gable shape, stone base coursing, copper eave line and brick detailing all create unity with the cathedral’s original design. An added visual benefit of this project was the elimination of a poorly designed former stair tower addition.