Guide to the Astorino Records on the Chapel of the Holy Spirit 1984-2005 (bulk 1993-1997), MSS 1124

Arrangement

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Astorino Records on the Chapel of the Holy Spirit
Collection Number
MSS 1124
Extent
21 linear ft. and 516 MB (13 boxes, 17 shelf items, 86 digital folders)
Date
1984-2005 (bulk 1993-1997)
Abstract
The Astorino Records on the Chapel of the Holy Spirit document the architectural firm Astorino and its involvement with two projects commissioned by the Vatican between 1992 and 1997. The first project, construction of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, began in 1992 and was largely funded by Pittsburgh businessman, John Connelly, who recommended Louis Astorino and his firm assist with building redesigns in 1993. While Astorino's suggestions were not incorporated into the Domus Sanctae Marthae construction, the Vatican asked him to design a chapel adjacent to the hotel. The collection contains business records; research; designs, drawings, and drafts; and oversized plans that span the duration of the projects' construction, from planning stages to post-completion marketing initiatives.
Language
The material in this collection is in English and Italian.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Cate Peebles.
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

Astorino (originally: L. D. Astorino and Associates) was a Pittsburgh-based architectural firm founded in 1973 by Louis D. Astorino (b.1948). The firm was responsible for numerous structures throughout the Pittsburgh area, including: Children's Hospital in Lawrenceville, PNC Park, Penguins Arena, and 3 PNC Plaza. Notably, Louis D. Astorino and his firm are the only American architects to create a building within Vatican City; the Chapel of the Holy Spirit project was completed in 1997. In late 2014, Astorino merged with New York's CannonDesign.

In 1993, Pittsburgh architect Louis D. Astorino was invited by the businessman and founder of the Gateway Clipper Fleet, John E. Connelly (1926-2009), to contribute design suggestions for a hotel in Vatican City, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, which is also refered to as Casa Santa Marta, in Italian. Connelly was a primary backer of both both the Domus Sanctae Marthae and Chapel of the Holy Spirit projects. Decreed by Pope John Paul II, the new residence/hotel would be used to sequester Cardinals during a papal conclave (traditionally, the offices and hallways in the Apostolic Palace had been converted into makeshift rooms, divided by hanging sheets). When not being used for a papal conclave, the hotel would be used to house visiting clergy. At the time of Mr. Astorino's invitation, construction of the hotel was already under way and his firm's proposed changes were deemed too costly and time consuming to implement. However, Astorino's work impressed the Vatican and he was invited to design an adjoining chapel for the hotel, which was largely funded by Mr. Connelly, who also gave it its name.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit was commissioned to create a prayerful and contemplative space for clergy and other visitors staying in the hotel. It is also the space where the 120 members of the College of Cardinals meet to pray and take communion before they vote for the next Pope during the conclave.

The chapel's design drew upon research and observations of existing Vatican structures created by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Bramante, as well as geometric designs found in the natural world. The Chapel of the Holy Spirit (CHS) is situated between the ancient Leonine Wall (9th Century BCE) and the Domus Sanctae Marthae (completed 1996), opening onto the Plaza Santa Marta. The CHS entrance is prefaced by a garden that includes a triangular-grid path leading visitors from the pavement to the chapel. The garden features a fountain, reflecting pool, and benches.

Astorino's goal for the design of the CHS was to convey spiritual meaning and "the mystery of the Holy Spirit itself" through the physical elements of the structure. With the triangle as a central motif, Astorino's design emphasizes the ecclesiastical figure of the Holy Trinity and the interrelationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triangle is used throughout the structure, functionally and symbolically; it is prominently featured in the floor's marble grid pattern, and in the building's outter structure, as it is situated on a triangualr site between the Leonine Wall and Domus Sanctae Marthae. The first mass in the chapel was celebrated on October 31, 1996 and was given by Cardinal Rosalio José Castillo Lara (1922-2007).

Along with the chapel, there were several marketing and commemorative initiatives created to accompany and promote the project. These include: an informational brochure created by Astorino, a book written by Louis Astorino that describes his personal experience, cufflinks, a commemorative stamp and pins based on the chapel's dove iconography, and a time capsule set in the chapel's foundation stone.

Scope and Content Notes

The Astorino Records on the Chapel of the Holy Spirit focuses on Astorino's collaboration with the Vatican between 1993 and 1997, and covers Mr. Astorino's invitation to contribute to the design of the Domus Sanctae Marthae and subsequent presentations delivered to Vatican officials; development of plans for the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, including research materials (books, magazines, photocopies, and photographs), design drafts, correspondence, documentation of construction, related press and consecration of the chapel; a portion of the collection comprises six boxes of photographs and design drafts documenting the process and 15 rolles of oversized design prints. Photographs in the collection depict Astorino's involvement in both projects between 1993 and 1997 and include personal pictures of visits to the Vatican, with various clergy, and project-related images of presentations, models, building construction, and use of the chapel. Much of this collection was originally arranged into binders by Chapel of the Holy Spirit project head, Jennifer Lucchino, with the assistance of an archivist, Anne Borkovic, in 2001. Largely maintaining original order, the collection has been rehoused and born digital materials have been ingested to ensure preservation. Most born digital image and text files are represented within the collection in analog form, i.e. printed Computer-Aided Design (CAD) plans and construction photographs that were used throughout planning and construction phases.

In addition to drawings and design images, the collection contains many 3-D models and construction samples, all of which are held by the Museum.

Series I: Domus Sanctae Marthae Project Files, 1992-1993

This series includes research, administrative records, planning, and design materials for the building of the new Vatican City hotel for which Astorino was called upon to suggest design improvements.

Series II: Chapel of the Holy Spirit Project Files, 1993-2005

This series spans all phases of the Chapel's construction, from inception to completion and the following years. This series includes research files that explore religious symbolism, Catholicism, individual artists, the Vatican, other churches, landscape design, architecture, and geometric designs of the natural world. This series also contains administrative records, meeting minutes, correspondence, and presentation outlines detailing the project. The chapel's design was created using a combination of traditional, hand-drawn methods, as well as new technologies such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and these files contain records of both methods, many of which are included in Series III with other visual media.

Additionally, this series contains drafts of Louis Astorino's commemorative book about the experience of designing the chapel. These records include paper drafts, notes, and born digital files; the floppy disks are contained in Series IV.

Series III: Photographs and Design Images, 1992-1997

This series documents the Chapel's design and construction, including the contents of nine personal photo albums and several binders of color and black and white photos. Negatives and contact sheets for many rolls of film are also included.

Series IV: Media and Born Digital Records, 1992-2005

This series includes VHS, cassette, DVD, and 3.5 inch diskettes of born-digital records. The video recordings contain research footage of Italian interior design expos in 1993 and 1994; news footage from WPIX in New York that mentions the Chapel of the Holy Spirit; and a CHS presentation recording. Computer diskettes are listed in the finding aid with related materials, but are physically stored together in Box 12. Their contents have been ingested electronically following procedures detailed in the Heinz History Center's born digital workflow.

Series V: Oversized Materials, 1985-1997

This series includes fifteen rolls of design drawings and prints from both the Domus Sanctae Marthae and Chapel of the Holy Spirit projects, and two shelf items. The two wrapped shelf items are a collection of hand painted watercolor renderings of the chapel by Louis Astorino and an enlarged poster from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1999).

Arrangement

  1. Series I: Domus Sanctae Marthae Project Files, 1992-1993
  2. Series II: Chapel of the Holy Spirit Project Files, 1993-2005
  3. Series III: Photographs and Design Images, 1992-1997
  4. Series IV: Media and Born Digital Records, 1992-2005
  5. Series V: Oversize Materials, 1985-1997

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Louis P. Astorino in 2015.

Preferred Citation

Astorino Records on the Chapel of the Holy Spirit, 1984-2005, MSS 1124, Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Cate Peebles in 2017-05-10.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Separated Materials

The following artifacts have been tranferred to the Museum Division.

  1. Model, Architect's, 2001.112.1
  2. ZONA DELLA DOMUS SANCTAE MARTHAE / LA CITTA DEL VATICANO, 2015.94.1 a,b
  3. TORRE COMPANARIA CAPPELLA DELLO SPIRITO SANTO,2015.94.2 a-c
  4. L'ABSIDE DI SAN PIETRO, CAPPELLA DELLO SPIRITO SANTO, LA CITTA DEL VATICANO, 2015.94.3 a-c
  5. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.4
  6. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.5
  7. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.6
  8. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.7
  9. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.8
  10. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.9
  11. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.10
  12. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.11
  13. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.12
  14. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.13
  15. Model, Architect's, 2015.94.14
  16. Model of St. Peter's Apse, Entrance from Garden, 2015.94.15
  17. Model of Chapel of the Holy Spirit with Ceiling Grid, 2015.94.16 a,d
  18. Chapel body model C-D1, 2015.94.17
  19. Chapel body model C-D2, 2015.94.18
  20. Chapel body structure model C-E, 2015.94.19
  21. Chapel body structure model C-E, 2015.94.20 a,b
  22. Chapel roof model C-F, 2015.94.21
  23. Chapel Apse model AP-C3, 2015.94.22
  24. Chapel Apse model AP-C4, 2015.94.23
  25. Chapel Altar MF-A, 2015.94.24 a,b
  26. Angled block model C-H, 2015.94.25
  27. Side Roof Structure model C-C, 2015.94.26
  28. Side Roof Structure model C-C, 2015.94.27
  29. Chair Rail model (Plain) CR-A, 2015.94.28
  30. Dove Model MP-D, 2015.94.30
  31. Dove Model MP-E, 2015.94.31
  32. Dove cufflink model, 2015.94.32
  33. Dove cufflink model, 2015.94.33
  34. Dove cufflink model, 2015.94.34
  35. Structural model, 2015.94.35 a-l
  36. Solid brick sample SB-A1, 2015.94.36
  37. Solid brick sample SB-A2, 2015.94.37
  38. Solid brick sample SB-A3, 2015.94.38
  39. Hollow brick sample SB-B1, 2015.94.39
  40. Hollow brick sample SB-B2, 2015.94.40
  41. Brick sample SB-C1,2015.94.41
  42. Brick sample SB-C2, 2015.94.42
  43. Brick sample SB-C3, 2015.94.43
  44. Brick sample SB-C4, 2015.94.44
  45. Brick sample SB-C5, 2015.94.45
  46. Brick sample SB-C6, 2015.94.46
  47. Glass sample SG-A, 2015.94.47
  48. Glass sample SG-B, 2015.94.48
  49. Glass sample SG-C, 2015.94.49
  50. Glass sample SG-D, 2015.94.50
  51. Marble sample SM-A1, Bianco Statuario Tipo Puro, 2015.94.51
  52. Marble sample SM-A2, Bianco Statuario Puro, 2015.94.52
  53. Marble sample SM-A3, Carrara Classico, 2015.94.53
  54. Marble sample SM-B1, Giallo Broccatello di Siena, 2015.94.54
  55. Marble sample SM-B2, Giallo di Siena, 2015.94.55
  56. Marble sample SM-B3, Giallo di Siena, 2015.94.56
  57. Marble sample SM-C, Giallo Spagna, 2015.94.57
  58. Marble sample SM-D1, Rosso Dei Pirenei, 2015.94.58
  59. Marble sample SM-D2, Rosso Dei Pirenei or Rosso Griotte, 2015.94.59
  60. Marble sample SM-E, Rosso Acicante, 2015.94.60
  61. Marble sample SM-F, Cipollino Antico (Marmo di Caristo), 2015.94.61
  62. Marble sample SM-G, Verde di Grecia, 2015.94.62
  63. Marble sample SM-H, Verde Guatemala, 2015.94.63
  64. Marble sample SM-I, Paonazzetto di Carrara, 2015.94.64
  65. Granite sample SG-A, Granito Nero, 2015.94.65
  66. Copper metal sample SMT-A1, 2015.94.66
  67. Copper metal sample SMT-A2, 2015.94.67
  68. Copper metal sample SMT-A3, 2015.94.68
  69. Copper metal sample SMT-A4, 2015.94.69
  70. Copper metal sample SMT-A5, 2015.94.70
  71. Copper metal sample SMT-A6, 2015.94.71
  72. Copper metal sample SMT-A7, 2015.94.72
  73. Copper metal sample SMT-A8, 2015.94.73
  74. Copper metal sample SMT-A9, 2015.94.74
  75. Copper plate sample SMT-B, 2015.94.75
  76. Copper plate sample SMT-B1, 2015.94.76
  77. Copper plate sample SMT-B2, 2015.94.77
  78. Copper paint sample SMT-C1 "Eurocolor", 2015.94.78
  79. Copper paint sample SMT-C2 "F752", 2015.94.79
  80. Copper paint sample with particles, SMT-C3, 2015.94.80
  81. Copper paint sample, SMT-C4, 2015.94.81
  82. Copper paint sample, SMT-C5, 2015.94.82
  83. Lead plate sample, SMT-D, 2015.94.83
  84. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.84
  85. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.85
  86. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.86
  87. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.87
  88. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.88
  89. B-52 metal sample, SMT-E, 2015.94.89
  90. Copper paint sample "Protex", SMT-F, 2015.94.90
  91. Travertine sample ST-A1, Romano Classico, 2015.94.91
  92. Travertine sample ST-A2, Classico Al Verso Non-Stuccato or Romano Al Verso, 2015.94.92
  93. Travertine sample ST-A3, Romano Classico Al Verso or Romano Al Verso, 2015.94.93
  94. Travertine sample ST-B1, Turco Contro Verso, 2015.94.94
  95. Travertine sample ST-B2, Turco Contro Verso, 2015.94.95
  96. Travertine sample ST-C, Broccatello di Spagna, 2015.94.96
  97. Flooring, 2015.94.97
  98. Flooring, 2015.94.98
  99. Flooring, 2015.94.99
  100. Flooring, 2015.94.100

Subjects

    Geographic Names

    • Rome (Italy).
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

    Other Subjects

    • Architecture.
    • Art, Christian.
    • Buildings--Design and construction.
    • CAD (Computer-aided design).
    • Catholic Church. Apostolic Camera.
    • Conclaves, Papal.
    • Church architecture.
    • Church buildings--Vatican City.
    • Ecclesiastical art.
    • Holy See.
    • Holy Spirit—Symbolism.
    • Icons.
    • Popes--elections.
    • Roman Catholicism.
    • Roman Catholic Church.
    • Spirituality in architecture.
    • Symbolism and Christian art.
    • Vatican Palace.

Container List