Icon Stands for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church NYC

In the iconic New York City skyline, St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church sits tucked within the National Shrine at Ground Zero. We were honored by the opportunity to take part in the adornment of a monument with a gravity which goes beyond Chicago or New York, but further the national identity of Americans. The gravity defying stature of the pedestal’s design was an engineering feat in collaboration with Santiago Calatrava.

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Icon Stands

Designed for St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine in Lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center. 

In matching pairs, the bronze pedestals serve the entryway of the chapel ordained with iconographic tablets. As guests enter the chapel, the pedestals function as bases for prayer. A collaboration with contemporary metal working techniques and an ancient stone, these pedestals utilize Pentelic marble from the same quarry which supplied stone for the Acropolis in Athens(5th Century BC). Now, the Penteli Quarry is exclusively used for mining stone used for Acropolis rebuild, with an exception made for the Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero- allowing for the entire church to be adorned with the historically precious stone. 

Site Significance

The original church stood from 1916 when Greek immigrants came to New York, until September 11th, 2001 when it was destroyed during the attack on the World Trade Center. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, this architectural marvel seamlessly marries Byzantine tradition with contemporary innovation, serving as a national symbol of unity and renewal amid the 9/11 tragedy. 

Uniting Tradition with Contemporaneity

Blending traditional Byzantine aesthetics with modern fabrication techniques was key to our approach. We used a combination of 3D modeling, CNC pattern boards, and traditional casting methods to ensure precision and consistency in our work. This meticulous process was crucial in creating elements that harmonized perfectly with the church's overall design and function. 

To honor the stylistic traditions of the Greek Orthodox church, we collaborated with Satiago Calatrava to design the pedestals with the illusion of floating, not only complimenting the atmosphere of the chapel but further accomplishing a structural engineering feat.