St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral, Roman Catholic cathedral in Chillán, Chile

St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral is a modern church in Chillán with a vault 20 meters wide, 52 meters long and 20 meters high, formed by eleven parabolic arches spaced five meters apart. The design, inspired by the airship hangars of Orly Airport, was meant to resemble two hands joined in prayer. The arches were originally to be clad in copper, but galvanized iron painted green was used instead.

The cathedral was built after the 1939 earthquake that destroyed the previous church and devastated the city. Construction was completed and the building was consecrated in 1960, marking the community's recovery.

The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Bartholomew, the patron saint of Chillán, and the new building was promoted by Bishop Jorge Larraín Cotapos, who entrusted the design to his nephew Hernán Larraín Errázuriz. The project drew public criticism for its modern style; the artist Gumercindo Oyarzo defended it in the newspaper La Discusión, and the architect travelled to the Vatican to explain it before approval.

The cathedral sits at the center of the city where two main streets meet, facing the main plaza directly. You can easily walk to it from anywhere downtown and see all sides of the building from the surrounding area.

The Monumental Cross stands apart from the cathedral and was raised in memory of the victims of the 1939 earthquake; it also serves as the temple's bell tower. A lattice crosses its upper front and rear faces, letting light into the hollow cross.