THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LDS TEMPLE

San Diego, CA

This temple was designed by architect and church member Bill Lewis, with an exterior made with icy-white marble chips in plaster. The entire mass glistens like a big shiny iceberg. Morman temples are all ambitious by intention. This one is adjacent to Interstate 5, making it a real eye-catcher for travelers in the area. The temple has two 190-foot tall spires, each with four smaller spires at their bases, totaling ten, the most of any Latter-day Saint temple. The eastern spire is topped with statue Moroni, a messenger of God who appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823. Connecting the towers at the center is a star-shaped atrium, open to the sky to nurture an interior garden. Inside the 72,000 square foot temple (one fourth the size of the mother temple in Salt Lake City) are four ordinance rooms and eight sealing rooms. The two-story celestial room serves as the centerpiece, featuring towering art glass windows, suspended light fixtures, and a grand staircase leading to an upper-level balcony. This room provides access to the central atrium, allowing natural light and weather to permeate the interior space.

The design is founded in Gothic tradition, but with a more contemporary execution of detail. Lewis admitted that the design was inspired by a play with squares; in plan-view, the building is a square surrounded by four equal squares, forming a cross. But why the symmetrical mirror composition of the temple? I’ve found no explanation or justification for this unusual expression. In academia, this would be a hard sell. But to those passing by on the freeway, the architectural statement demands attention. The building was within walking distance from my hotel, but closed for major renovations. The security guard led me to this view, from which most wedding pictures are taken, which served me well.