In early 2019, Nzilani Glass Conservation was contacted by Resurrection Church in downtown Oakland to conserve the 12 panel, inverted stained-glass dome in their sanctuary. The building had originally been owned by the First Church of Christ, Scientist (1902-2015), then been purchased to be converted to a retail space (2015-2019), then bought in 2019 by ResOak, Oakland to be used again as a church. At 118-years-old, the dome was in a critical state of disrepair, requiring multi-approached conservation involving engineers, metal-smiths, stained-glass, scaffolding and documentation. This included glass stabilization, re-leading and the re-engineering of its structural support system. The uncommon inverted orientation of the dome required the team to come up with innovative new methods to return the dome to its original state, while also improving its structural integrity, allowing a new generation of congregants and the public at large to enjoy its beauty.

The Grace Cathedral: Stained & Leaded Glass Condition Survey & Conservation Project is the winner of a 2018 Preservation Design Award. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. In making their decision, the jury stated: “This appears to have been a painstaking conservation project. Kudos to the church for committing to such a careful restoration. Good job! This is a model project for this category.”