Grace Cathedral, Episcopal cathedral in Nob Hill, San Francisco, US
Grace Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral on Nob Hill in San Francisco, built of exposed reinforced concrete in Gothic Revival style. Its symmetrical facade has two towers with paired arched openings, a central rose window above a pointed-arch entrance, and smaller pointed doorways at the base; a broad stair leads up to three doors, and "GRACE CATHEDRAL" is inscribed on the left retaining wall. Inside, pointed ribbed vaults rest on tall clustered columns above a high nave, with dark wooden choir stalls below tall stained-glass windows at the far end.
Construction started in 1927 on land donated by the Crocker family after the 1906 earthquake destroyed the original Grace Church. The work continued over several decades and was only completed in the 1960s.
The two labyrinths at the entrance and inside the church serve today as places for meditation and quiet practice. Visitors walk the winding paths on foot, often barefoot, while others sit in the pews and look up at the vaulted ceiling.
The cathedral is open to visitors outside service times; the Japanese source notes that sightseeing inside is possible when no worship is underway. Sunday organ recitals are sometimes held. The main entrance is reached by a broad flight of stairs from the street, and the double doors are heavy, so visitors with limited mobility may prefer to ask staff for assistance.
The bronze doors at the entrance are replicas of the Gates of Paradise from the Florence Baptistery, cast in the 1960s. They show ten scenes from the Old Testament in raised relief work, which visitors often touch before entering.
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