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 | |  | | Guilded retablos at San Fernando | | Exterior San Fernando | | | | | | San Fernando Cathedral  San Fernando Cathedral, located in the heart of Downtown San Antonio and facing historic Main Plaza, contains the oldest Catholic cathedral sanctuary in the United States.
FisherHeck was selected to be on the team to undertake this project. Rafferty Rafferty and Tollefson Architects of St. Paul, Minnesota served as principal architects while FisherHeck served as Associate Architects.
The Cathedral structure dates from 1738. The limestone Spanish Colonial structure originally contained a narrow nave and a massive bell tower. This church served the community until 1868, when the old bell tower and part of the nave were removed and a new nave and bell towers were added in the fashionable Gothic Revival style. Numerous renovations were completed in the twentieth century, introducing materials that were not always appropriate to the construction used in the two original structures.
Challenges facing the team included stabilization of the deteriorating original structure, and the integration of new mechanical and electrical systems discretely within the historic fabric of the building. The design also had to properly interpret the importance of earlier periods of the Cathedral's history while allowing the church to serve the needs of the contemporary liturgy.
A new Cathedral Centre adjacent to the Cathedral, provides support spaces for the Cathedral. It contains a museum, gift shop, sacristy, restrooms, dining space, and other support facilities.
2005 San Antonio Chapter AIA Honor Award
San Antonio, Texas
Client: Archdiocese of San Antonio
Completed: 2003
Construction budget: $8.3 million
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