International Center for Possibility Thinking

Tucked away in the monotony of Orange County is a surprising Modernist collection of buildings. Adjacent to the Crystal Cathedral and a church by Richard Neutra lies Richard Meier's International Center for Possibility Thinking, a visitor's center for the cathedral. The Center features a 300-seat auditorium and a café built into a sunken piazza at the lower level. On the main level, a large atrium artfully brings down natural light through tapered lanterns that also serve as thermal chimneys. As with most of Meier's designs, the pure white interiors do exceptionally well in capturing the natural color of the light through the day. However, the most striking difference in his design this time is his choice to forgo the use of white enameled panels on the exterior. Instead, embossed stainless steel is used, creating a very polished appearance.