Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption

Modernist cathedral with an iconic hyperbolic paraboloid roof, engineered by Pier Luigi Nervi.

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption rises on Cathedral Hill in San Francisco as the mother church of the Archdiocese, serving Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. Built in 1971 to replace a predecessor destroyed by fire, it was designed by Pietro Belluschi with structural engineering by Pier Luigi Nervi. The building is defined by its extraordinary roof: four hyperbolic paraboloid concrete shells that intersect to form a cross. Inside, the space soars upward with light filtering through thin bands of stained glass. Though initially controversial, it is now recognized as a major example of modern sacred architecture in the United States.