title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Numerous sites in Manhattan were examined for the new cathedral's location, and by 1889, the Leake and Watts Asylum between 110th and 113th Streets had been chosen as the site for the future site of St. John's. News media such as "The New York Times" and "Uptown Visitor" praised the decision, as the site was located on a high point overlooking Central and Morningside Parks. The committee had wanted to build slightly further north, on a more elevated plot between 116th Street to the south and 119th Street to the north. However, that plot would be too difficult to acquire, as ownership of that tract was divided among several entities; by contrast, the Leake and Watts Asylum had full control over their entire city block. The asylum site was deeded to the cathedral in October 1891, and the asylum moved to Westchester County, New York. The asylum site was then acquired for $850,000. At the time, Morningside Heights was quickly being developed as a residential neighborhood surrounded by numerous higher-education institutions. The proposed cathedral's elevated location would have been visible from New Jersey, across the Hudson River to the west, as well as from the New York Bay to the south.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Simultaneously, there was also debate over the new cathedral's style; because of the larger plot and more remote location from Midtown Manhattan it was expected to be more elaborate than St. Patrick's. The trustees had formed a Committee on Architecture in conjunction with William Robert Ware, a Columbia architecture professor, which held a design competition for St. John that involved several prominent architectural firms. Though everyone was free to enter the competition, fourteen firms and architects were paid $500 each to create designs for the cathedral. The deadline for each plan was January 1889.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: That May, the board of trustees formed a committee to review the more than 60 designs that had been submitted. Many of the competitors were American, though only four were experienced in cathedral construction. The board members then discussed the designs privately; some architects expressed concerns about the secret consultations, since the trustees generally did not have knowledge of architectural design. The competition was narrowed down to four finalists. Namely, these were "Gerona" by William A. Potter and R. H. Robertson; "Three Arabesque Scrolls within a Circle" by George L. Heins and Christopher Grant LaFarge with William Winthrop Kent; "AMDG" by George M. Huss and J. H. Buck; and "Jerusalem the Golden" by William Halsey Wood. "Gerona" used the Gothic style based on Spanish cathedrals; "AMDG" and "Jerusalem the Golden" were in a regular Gothic style, and "Three Arabesque Scrolls" was mainly Byzantine.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Potter and Robertson were the only one of the four finalists who had significant experience at the time, and the trustees had agreed not to release any designs without the consent of all competitors, although some contestants broke the agreement anyway by revealing their designs to the media. The finalists were given more than a year to refine the details of their plans: the original deadline was set for February 1890, but was later extended to November after a failed proposal to host the World's Columbian Exposition in Morningside Park. The submissions were placed in public view in April 1891. By then, the public was losing interest in the competition, and the finalist designs mainly received negative criticism.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In July 1891, the plan-selection committee chose Heins & LaFarge's plan as the winning proposal. The design had been the trustees' second choice; although the trustees liked Potter and Robertson's plan more, W. A. Potter was the bishop's half-brother and the trustees did not want to be accused of nepotism. To Kent's consternation, he was initially not recognized as a co-collaborator, and would not be acknowledged as such until the following year. The group's blueprints called for chapels and end sections with apses; a crossing containing four round arches as well as a dome topped by a massive tower; and transepts with round edges. The interior was based upon Boston's Trinity Church, and the crossing was based upon Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, Venice's St. Mark's Basilica, and the Périgueux Cathedral. The "exotic" design was seen as an example of the unusual architecture that was prevalent at that time. It was also Heins & LaFarge's first major commission: the firm later designed structures such as the Astor Court buildings at the Bronx Zoo, as well as the early stations of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, the first operator of the present-day New York City Subway.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: That October, the trustees directed the firm to revise their design further. The following month, it was announced that work would begin in early 1892, provided that Heins & LaFarge submitted their revised plans that April. The original plans were then substantially revised because the board of trustees wanted a Gothic-style appearance. The western towers were modified to remove the spires and enlarge the windows, and various Gothic details were placed on the facade. The nave was realigned from north–south to east–west so that the apse would face east, in the direction of the sunrise, to represent the resurrection of Jesus as per Episcopal tradition. Heins & LaFarge objected to the realignment because it would result in the cathedral being hidden behind other buildings. In the final plan, "Three Arabesque Scrolls" incorporated both Byzantine and Romanesque influences, with Gothic detailing on the exterior. Outwardly, the design resembled the AMDG plan from Huss & Buck. By April 1892, the trustees had raised much of the $850,000 required for land acquisition, though there still remained a deficit of $175,000.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Construction on the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was begun with the cornerstone-laying ceremony on December 27, 1892, St. John's Day. One thousand tickets for seats at the ceremony were distributed, though the actual attendance was 1,100. The cornerstone contained various objects such as a Bible and church papers. Potter hit the stone three times with a mallet and said "Other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid which is Jesus Christ." The following month, the remaining $175,000 for land acquisition had been secured, and the trustees moved to take title to the land, including the cathedral close around the cathedral's main building, in April. Unlike the main building, the cathedral close was not designed under a single master plan, and during the 1890s and 1900s, several proposals would be made for the site.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Actual work on St. John's began in early 1893. The trustees initially expected that work would proceed quickly because much of the Morningside Heights plateau was made of shallow bedrock. However, in September 1893, builders unexpectedly hit pockets of soft shale and an underground spring at several locations about below ground. One of these pockets was located directly below the site for one of the four piers that were to support the cathedral's massive stone tower. The trustees briefly considered moving the entire cathedral slightly southward. They ultimately decided against moving the cathedral, believing it to be inauspicious if the cornerstone were to be moved. Instead, builders drilled several deep shafts until they hit the bedrock, then poured concrete pits within each shaft. The pits would then accommodate the construction of the tower's piers. The pits were completed in late 1895 at a significantly higher cost than originally estimated.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: By 1898, St. John's had cost an estimated $750,000, and as per an 1896 estimate, the cathedral was projected to cost at least $5 million when complete. As a temporary measure, the Tiffany Chapel was purchased in mid-1898 so that services could be held there. The chapel was placed in the crypt, within the basement. The first services were held in January 1899 within the Tiffany Chapel. The crossing arches, located in the cathedral plot's eastern portion, were completed the following year, though three of the arches were temporarily sealed off until the transepts and nave could be completed. By then, some $2 million had already been spent, even though little appeared to have been completed. Despite large donations from prominent figures such as financiers John Jacob Astor IV and William Waldorf Astor, governor Levi P. Morton, banker J. P. Morgan, and businessman Cornelius Vanderbilt, the trustees continued to raise funds.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In March 1903, the trustees announced that the next stage of St. John's construction would require $500,000 for building the choir and $200,000 for completing the loft, and that eight massive granite columns would need to be procured to support the roof over the choir. Furthermore, the trustees would build three arches to support the rest of the roof. The choir columns, sourced from Vinalhaven, Maine, were each tall with a diameter. At the time, they were the world's second-largest stone columns, but because of their size, three of the columns were cracked while being turned. The columns were then transported using a specially constructed barge towed by the large steam tug "Clara Clarita". When the columns arrived at Manhattan in July and August 1903, they were rolled onto flatbed trucks and brought to the cathedral's site. Since the builders did not have a derrick that was strong enough to lift the column pieces, they placed another order for wood to build a strong-enough derrick. The columns were finally lifted in July 1904, more than a year after the initial announcement. The walls could not be placed until after the columns had been installed. Work also began in 1903 on the crossing ceiling, which was to contain "Guastavino tiles" designed by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The board of trustees implemented a new charter in early 1904, which provided for greater representation of laypeople on the board. By 1905, with $800,000 available for construction, the trustees anticipated that the cathedral would be completed within a decade. The church's great organ was ordered from Skinner the following year at a cost of $50,000, following a gift by the Morton family. It was almost completed by 1911 with nearly 7,000 pipes; the cost of the organ had risen to $70,000. Work also continued on the exterior walls of the choir and the seven surrounding chapels in the apse, which required of granite. Builders estimated that of stone would have been used for the walls once work was completed. Gutzon Borglum was commissioned for some of the initial sculptural elements on St. John's, though his relation with the trustees was strained: he destroyed two angels after criticism of his work and threatened to quit in 1906. Because of the delays in construction, members of the public began to question the necessity of constructing such a large cathedral. With little progress to show for, public sentiment began to turn against the cathedral. Even the trustees started to have doubts about certain aspects of the plan, criticizing Heins & LaFarge's small staff, their simultaneous involvement in many other projects, slow construction, and cost overruns.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Although Heins died in 1907, LaFarge continued to design the crossing, choir, and apse of St. John's. By then, the architectural preferences of the public were shifting away from the original design. Additionally, communication between LaFarge and the trustees were deteriorating, with several trustees calling for LaFarge's removal. The choir was covered in 1908, and the crossing was installed the next year. The choir was nearly complete by October 1909, but there were insufficient funds to complete its construction, delaying its opening by at least six months. At that time, St. John's was earning about $24,000 per year and had a $500,000 endowment, while at least $1 million was needed to complete construction. In March 1911, trustees finally confirmed an opening date of April 19, 1911. The first service in the choir and crossing, the consecration of the choir, occurred as scheduled on that day. The completed portions of the cathedral were widely praised, though few newspapers devoted extensive coverage to the event, except the "New York Herald".


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: A month after the choir's consecration, the trustees suddenly fired LaFarge, commissioning Ralph Adams Cram to take LaFarge's place as lead architect of St. John's. The trustees had exercised a clause in their contract with Heins & LaFarge, enabling them to hire another architect if either partner were to die. LaFarge was not made aware of the matter beforehand, and was only notified via a cable sent by his partner Benjamin Wistar Morris. The original Byzantine-Romanesque design was changed to a Gothic design, and Cram was asked to convert many existing features to Gothic style. The move was criticized in the local media, who claimed that the trustees and Cram had been conspiring to eject LaFarge from the lead architect position. However, "The New York Sun" reported that Cram had only reluctantly accepted the commission because the trustees had threatened to hire a foreign architect otherwise.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Cram presented a master plan for the cathedral close's buildings in October 1911, and his revised designs for the main structure were completed in 1913. Regardless, there was still not enough money to complete the cathedral's construction, as the New York Episcopal Diocese Cathedral League had mentioned in 1912 that $5.5 million was still needed. The diocese was able to construct several structures to the south of the main building (see ), as part of a plan that had been approved by the trustees in late 1911. These structures included the St. Faith's House (1909), Synod House (1911–1913), Cathedral School (1912–1913), and Cathedral House (1912–1914).


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: By January 1916, Bishop David H. Greer announced that the diocese would construct St. John's nave and narthex, along with a pair of towers on the western elevation of the facade above the narthex. The project would cost $1.5 million, even though St, John's only had about $200,000 on hand as of June 1915. A groundbreaking ceremony for the nave was held on May 8, 1916. That November, construction stopped due to material and funding shortages during World War I, and the trustees had decided against raising funds until after the war. Cram edited his plans in the interim. In February 1919, the trustees approved Cram's revised plan to incorporate a memorial for soldiers. The new plans required $5–6 million, but would make St. John's the third- or fourth-largest worldwide. The cathedral did not yet have the money to build the nave, and furthermore, in 1920 the trustees decided not to hold fundraising drives for said purpose. Because of an unstable economy, work did not resume for another four years, though both Greer and Bishop Charles Sumner Burch supported the project.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In 1923, Burch's successor William T. Manning announced a $15 million capital campaign to raise money for this project. The New York campaign committee, headed by then-governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, campaigned from 1923 to 1925 to raise $6 million (). By May 1924, Manning announced that $2.5 million had been donated within the previous three months, and that work on the nave would soon begin if that rate of donation were to continue. St. John's was seeking price estimates for the nave's construction by that November, and the baptistery was donated the same year. Some $7.7 million had been raised by February 1925, and the laying of the nave's cornerstone occurred on November 9, 1925. Manning wanted the cathedral to be an interdenominational place of worship, but was still reluctant to add other denominations' members to the board of trustees. Notably, Manning rejected a request from John D. Rockefeller Jr., a Baptist, despite the latter's $500,000 donation toward the cathedral's building fund.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In January 1927, Manning announced that the trustees had approved Cram's proposal for a square tower above the crossing; the tower would replace the dome, which did not conform to the Gothic style. With sides of , the tower would be half as wide as the arches below it. Cram's blueprint revisions, published in 1929, entailed building the square tower over the crossing, and adding two portals to the western elevation. Additionally, St. John's northern transept began construction in December 1927. Since the funds for that transept were donated solely by women, it was called the Women's Transept. Work on the Women's Transept was halted in October 1930 due to a lack of funds. Construction at St. John's was otherwise unaffected by the Great Depression. During this duration, work was concentrated mainly on the western elevation.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: When construction of the Women's Transept resumed in 1934, the nave and the western elevation were nearly complete except for the two towers above the western facade, but work on the crossing tower and south transept had yet to commence. By 1938, the nave was completed, but the temporary construction wall between the nave and crossing was still in place because the Byzantine-Romanesque crossing's design had yet to be harmonized with the Gothic nave. As such, Cram subsequently replaced the portions of the ceiling above the choir and the apse's eastern section. Additionally, the nave started to be used for services, even though it had not yet been dedicated. The 1939 "WPA Guide to New York City" stated that $20 million had been spent on the cathedral by then.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The full length of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine was opened for the first time on November 30, 1941. At that time, St. John's was only three-fifths completed, yet it was the second-largest Christian church in the world by area, behind only St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The event was commemorated with a week-long celebration. The last day of the celebrations, Sunday December 7, 1941, coincided with the Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. With the consequent entry of the United States into World War II, work on the cathedral stopped. The southern transept and tower had yet to start, while the northern transept remained one-third complete. The western towers, planned to be , reached only to the roof of the nave. Cram revised his plans yet again just before his 1942 death, this time with shorter western towers and a slim spire in place of the square tower over the crossing.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Following the end of World War II, St. John's did not experience any more new construction for three decades. In 1945, Manning had attempted to start a fundraising drive for $10 million so that the remaining funds could be raised for the cathedral's completion. However, during the late 1940s, his successor Bishop Charles Kendall Gilbert turned efforts toward alleviating social issues in the vicinity of the cathedral. Rather than being focused on expansion, the cathedral became more involved in the surrounding community. By that time, a total of $19 million had been spent on construction (equivalent to $ million in ). By the 1950s, there was debate over whether to complete St. John's in the Gothic fashion of the nave; a more contemporary style; or the original Byzantine/Romanesque style. Several plans were proposed through the early 1960s, but none were examined in depth.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In 1966, it was announced that work at St. John's would resume. The trustees had approved a smaller version of the western towers and the crossing, with a modern multicolored dome to be built atop the crossing. The project did not proceed, as Bishop Horace W. B. Donegan said that such work would not occur during his administration; rather, he wanted the construction money to instead go toward helping the poor. In the 1970s, the cathedral's activities turned toward improving quality of life in Morningside Heights; helping the elderly, young, and the environment; and participating in the civil rights movement and the opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War. However, when the Very Reverend James Parks Morton was installed as St. John's dean in 1973, he said that construction at St. John's would start again. Morton said he wanted St. John's to become "a holy place for the whole city". St. John's had become overcrowded because of its increasing focus on community activities, and even though the cathedral was losing $500,000 each year, Morton believed that an expansion would help make space for these extra activities.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Morton announced in December 1978 that construction would soon begin on constructing the two western towers, extending their height by and bringing their total height to . The job was expected to cost $20 million and take five years. However, by then, there was a shortage of qualified stone carvers in the area. James R. Bambridge, who was hired as the stonemason, planned to employ unskilled younger workers from the surrounding community. Bambridge hired Nicholas G. Fairplay, an English stonemason, as master carver. The architect was Hoyle, Doran and Berry, the successor to Cram's architecture firm. The expansions would be based primarily on Cram's revised designs, published before his death. The north transept would be completed, but would remain separate from the main building.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Work on the western facade's towers was restarted with the opening of St. John's stone yard, the Cathedral Stoneworks, which received its first several Indiana limestone blocks in June 1979. Construction started first on the south tower, named for Saint Paul, which began to rise in 1982. However, the project continued to be delayed due to a shortage of funds, and due to slow development of the towers' designs. Work also progressed slowly because the stonemasons were carving a myriad of minute details on the south tower. By 1984, St. John's was projected to be complete in 2000. Under the leadership of master stone carvers Nicholas Fairplay, Simon Verity, and Jean Claude Marchionni, work on the statuary of the central portal of the cathedral's western elevation was started in 1988 and completed in 1997. During this era, the cathedral expanded its cultural programming, hosting some 140 shows and performances in the 1987–1988 season, some of which drew up to 3,000 observers.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: By 1992, the construction budget had been depleted; work was halted, and the stone yard was closed. By then, another of height had been added to the south tower. While some of the scaffolding was removed, other portions remained, rusting away for fifteen years. The Very Reverend Harry H. Pritchett Jr., who succeeded Morton in 1997, decided against further expansion of St. John's, especially since the existing facilities needed $20–40 million in repairs.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: On December 18, 2001, a fire swept through the unfinished north transept, destroying the gift shop and damaging tapestries. Despite the damage sustained, St. John's reopened two weeks later. Though the pipe organ was not damaged, all its pipes and other component parts were removed and restored. Valuable tapestries and other items in the cathedral were damaged by the smoke. In January 2005, the cathedral began a major restoration to not only remove smoke damage resulting from the 2001 fire, but also clean the 80 years of dirt accumulation in the nave. The renovations temporarily depleted St. John's funds: the unaffected portions of the cathedral started to deteriorate, staff salary raises were deferred, and several staff positions were eliminated. The scaffolding around the south tower was removed in 2007, and the cathedral was rededicated on November 30, 2008.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The cathedral's main building was made a city landmark in June 2003, but the designation was overturned that October, since it did not cover the entire cathedral close. At the same time, St. John's officials wanted to lease out the lots at the northern and southern borders of the cathedral close for further development, a move that preservationists unsuccessfully attempted to prevent. Ultimately, two residential buildings were erected on these lots: Avalon Morningside Park on the southern lot and the Enclave on the northern lot. In 2017, the cathedral close was re-designated a city landmark, except for the two new residential buildings. The next year, the first phase of the north transept's renovation was finally completed, and work began on a renovation of the crypt.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: On April 14, 2019, a small fire occurred in the crypt; except for smoke damage, the cathedral building was mostly unaffected. Many artworks stored in the crypt were reportedly damaged or destroyed in the fire. An initial cleaning removed smoke damage from the bottom 10 feet of the interior of the cathedral. A cleaning of the rest of the interior was also ongoing. Also in 2019, Ennead Architects proposed erecting a copper dome above the crossing so that the crossing's tiles could be rehabilitated. On December 13, 2020, following the end of a choir performance outside the cathedral, a man fired guns at the crowd and was fatally shot by police; nobody else was injured.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is located at 1047 Amsterdam Avenue in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, between West 110th Street (also known as Cathedral Parkway) to the south and 113th Street to the north. The cathedral's main entrance on the west is along the same axis as 112th Street. Adjacent sites include Mount Sinai Morningside (formerly St. Luke's Hospital) to the north, Columbia University's Morningside Heights campus to the north and west, and Morningside Park to the east. One of the key reasons for St. John's location is that the land under it was described as the "highest point in Manhattan". One author wrote that "the view from outside tells much about St. John's inner spirit", saying that the southeastern elevation of the facade gives an impression of incompleteness, while the great western elevation was "vitalized by its incipience".


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: St. John's is oriented west–east relative to the street grid and was originally supposed to have a cruciform plan, with transepts extending to the north and south of the crossing near the eastern end of the cathedral. The entire structure measures long. From west to east, the cathedral contains a narthex measuring long by wide; a nave of ; a crossing of ; a choir of ; and the Chapel of St. Savior in the apse, measuring with an ambulatory wide. The cathedral's western elevation is wide; if the transepts had been completed, they would have measured from end to end. The cathedral has an interior floor area of and can host 8,600 people. , these dimensions make St. John's the sixth-largest Christian cathedral in the world, and puts it in competition with Liverpool Cathedral as being the world's largest Anglican cathedral.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The original design for the cathedral was created by Heins & LaFarge. Despite being primarily Byzantine and Romanesque in influence, the last version of Heins & LaFarge's design contained a significantly Gothic-style appearance. The original plan at St. John's called for tiled-arch domes and barrel vaults. The crossing was to be held up by four round arches under a dome, with a tower on top. The completed cathedral was supposed to have been long and wide between transepts, while the tower would have been tall.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The modern plan for the building, as it appeared upon its official opening in 1941, conforms primarily to the second design campaign from the prolific Gothic Revival architect Ralph Adams Cram. The plans are based on the French Gothic style, with English Gothic accents. Cram had initially wanted to use English Gothic models, which typically placed less emphasis on vertical elements and height, and which contrasted with the extant parts of the cathedral. Cram's plan originally called for three main entrances; two spires set back from the western facade; two smaller spires on the western facade. Inside were ten full-height aisles, with a triforium and clerestory rising to the ceiling, as well as large chapels along each side of the nave. The design provides a transition between the nave and the crossing, because the nave was to be wide, about half the width of the crossing. Cram, described as a "brilliant perfectionist", frequently revised his proposal and later spoke of Heins & LaFarge's plans as better than his own. One major change, published in 1926, called for a , square tower above the crossing and five portals on the western elevation. Another revision was published just before he died in 1942, and called for a spire above the crossing. Cram's designs were not fully built, either. The Cathedral of St. John the Divine remains only two-thirds complete and is often nicknamed "St. John the Unfinished".


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The narthex, in the westernmost portion of the cathedral facing Amsterdam Avenue, was designed by Cram. His original plans did not include a narthex, instead showing the nave continuing as far as the western facade. Inside the narthex is a large vestibule, which serves as an entrance to the nave on the east. The vestibule measures along the north–south axis and along the west–east axis. The southern part of the narthex contains the cathedral's gift shop.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Above the narthex are two towers: one named for Saint Peter to the north and the other named for Saint Paul to the south. The north tower reaches to the roof of the nave, which is above ground level; the south tower is about taller, with the additional height having been built between 1982 and 1992. If the towers had been completed, they would have been about tall. The towers protrude slightly from the northern and southern elevations of the facade but are flush with the western elevation. On the northern and southern facades of the narthex, at the base of the towers, are stained glass windows, one on each side.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The narthex abuts the unfinished western elevation of the facade facing Amsterdam Avenue; this facade is wide and consists of five architectural bays. The bays are separated by large arched buttresses with finials at their tops, and they contain niches for the possible future installation of statues. The western elevation is divided into four vertical tiers. From bottom to top, they are the ground-level portals, on the first tier; the gallery level, on the second tier; the large rose window and several smaller grisaille and lancet windows, on the third tier; and the top of the south tower and the gable above the center bay, on the fourth tier.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: At ground level, there are five portals under arched openings. The largest of those is the center portal, called the Portal of Paradise, which contains carvings of the transfiguration of Jesus as well as St. John and 32 biblical characters; these were carved in 1988 under Simon Verity's leadership. St. John is depicted on the trumeau, or vertical pier, between the two pairs of doors within the center portal. The center portal also contains depictions of New York City skyscrapers being destroyed in an apocalypse. The center, northernmost, and southernmost portals are set within large, gabled structures with several archivolts, or arched moldings, surrounding each portal under the gables; porches overhang the portals above the gables. The other two portals are located under simple rectangular canopy structures, located underneath grisaille windows looking into the nave. Lights salvaged from the former Pennsylvania Station illuminate the steps in front of the portals.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Above the center portal, between the towers, is a rose window installed by stained glass artist Charles Connick and constructed out of 10,000 pieces of glass. With a diameter of , the rose window is the largest rose window in the U.S. Flanking the rose window on either side are two grisaille windows, each with two lancet windows under a smaller rose. The seven archangels are depicted in the north grisaille, while the seven churches of Asia are depicted in the south grisaille. Connick had designed the grisailles as well. On the gable above the large rose window, there are lancets as well as a medallion in the middle.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The two pairs of great west doors on the western elevation, set beneath the elaborate center portal, were designed between 1927 and 1931 by the designer Henry Wilson. The bronze doors include a sequence of 60 relief panels, which presents scenes from the Old and New Testaments and the Apocalypse. The doors open three times per year: Easter; St. Francis's feast day in October; and the "blessing of the bicycles" in the spring. They comprise one of four bronze-door commissions designed by Wilson before his death. St. John's great west doors were the last of the four commissions, each pair measuring some . The remaining doors on the western elevation are composed of Burmese teak with wrought iron decoration.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The nave was designed by Cram, though the final plan is slightly modified from the original. It is oriented from west to east, measuring long by wide. The ceiling is above ground level, but the ridge of the roof is high. These dimensions are about the same as in the original plans, which called for floor dimensions of . a roof, and a ceiling.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: On the northern and southern elevations, there are four vertical "double bays", each with two columns of windows. Large arched buttresses, with two piers each, separate the different double bays; smaller buttresses, containing a single pier, divide each double bay into smaller "sub-bays". This alternation of large and small buttresses gives the appearance of four double bays with two sub-bays each, rather than eight singular rectangular bays. At the arcade level, each of the sub-bays contains an arrangement of stained glass with two lancet windows under a rose window. The sub-bays also contain another stained-glass arrangement at clerestory level, each with two lancet windows and one rose window. The clerestory arrangements each measure long by wide. Carved parapets, as well as gables with dormers, run along the copper roof.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Inside, there are six north–south rows of piers, three to either side of the nave. These piers divide the nave into five aisles running west to east, with the center aisle located on the same axis as 112th Street. There are four smaller aisles, two to either side of the center aisle. Additionally, the interior contains several flying buttresses, concealed by "bridges" that carry them over the outermost aisles.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: There are sixteen sub-bays in the nave, eight on each side; the easternmost sub-bays on either side contain doorways. Each of the bays are named after some aspect of humanity. From west to east, the sub-bays along the northern side of the nave are named the Sports, Arts, Crusaders, Education, Lawyers, Ecclesiastical Origins (Anglican), and Historical and Patriotic Societies' (American), and Fatherhood bays. The sub-bays on the southern side are named the All Souls', Missionary, Labor, Press (Communication), Medical, Religious Life (Earth), Armed Forces (Military), and Motherhood bays. Each of the sub-bays contain carved parapets atop their mono-pitched roofs. The sub-bays are used for various exhibits. The iconography of the stained-glass windows in the arcade and clerestory is related to the theme of each respective sub-bay. In each sub-bay, between the lower windows and the clerestory windows, is the triforium level, which contains two west–east corridors with numerous windowless rooms and office spaces.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The apse, located at St. John's eastern end, is made up of numerous components. The center of the apse contains the choir, located below the great organ. Two ambulatory passages run adjacent to the choir, one to the north and the other to the south. Seven chapels, a baptistery, and a columbarium are also located in the northwestern part of the apse. The apse contains two sets of clerestory windows: the large ambulatory clerestories with multiple panels, as well as a smaller sanctuary clerestory window above each of the ambulatory clerestories. The apse's walls are supported by gabled buttresses, which are taller than the height of the walls, and contain niches with statues.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The choir was consecrated in 1911. It consists of two sets of wooden stalls facing each other, with three rows in each stall. The stalls were made by the Philadelphia-based John Barber Company. The westernmost unit in the southern row of choir stalls is called the "Dean's Stall". The roof above the choir is supported by eight columns, each tall with a diameter and a weight of . The columns' foundations descend as much as into the bedrock below them.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The parapets behind the two sections of the choir were originally installed in 1922 with twenty niches for statues of the spiritual heroes of the twenty centuries since the birth of Christ. For example, the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries are respectively represented by statues of William Shakespeare, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. The niche for the 20th century was left blank through the end of that century. In 2001 the choir parapet was completed with carvings of Martin Luther King Jr., Albert Einstein, Susan B. Anthony. and Mohandas Gandhi. In addition, the finials on both rows of stalls were carved by Otto Jahnsen and depict church-music composers and performers.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: On the floor are tiles designed by the Grueby Faience Company, with geometric patterns and imagery reminiscent of the iconography in other cathedrals. A compass rose, the official icon of the Anglican Communion (in which the Episcopal Church participates), is located on the floor between the two stalls, in the center of the choir.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Great Organ was built by Ernest M. Skinner in 1906–1910. It is located above the choir on the north and south sides, and consists of four manual keyboards with several pedals. The opening recital was given in 1911 by Clarence Dickinson. In 1954, it was enlarged by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Opus 150-A, under the tonal direction of G. Donald Harrison. The organ contains 8,514 pipes, though it previously included 8,035. While most of the pipes are located above the choir stalls, the Great Organ also controls the State Trumpet, located beneath the rose window about to the west.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The 2001 fire in the north transept resulted in heavy smoke damage to the organ, and it was subsequently restored by Quimby Pipe Organs, Inc., of Warrensburg, Missouri. After two years of extensive and detailed refurbishment work, including a reorganization of many pipes and a rebuilding of the console, the organ finally returned to service in 2008 as part of an overall $41-million cleaning and repair to the cathedral. The Great Organ was damaged again in the April 2019 crypt fire, and was indefinitely placed out of service pending a thorough cleaning. While the Great Organ was being restored, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine used an electric organ.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Behind the choir, to its east, is the sanctuary (or chancel), a raised platform. The chancel includes the high altar, which is made of white Vermont marble. The Magna Carta Pedestal—named as such because it is located atop three stones from the Bury St Edmunds Abbey in England—is located to the right, while the sedilia for the bishop and other clergy is to the left. The sanctuary also contains the cathedra (or bishop's seat), donated by Olivia Egleston Phelps Stokes in memory of her sister Caroline Phelps Stokes. The bishop's pulpit is made of Tennessee marble, with five niches, each of which contain reliefs that depict scenes from the life of Christ. A presbytery, which houses the officiating clergy of St. John's, is located between the chancel and the choir. The reredos behind the sanctuary depicts four scenes from the Old Testament on the left (north), and four from the New Testament on the right (south).


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Behind the altar is a wrought iron enclosure. The space contains the English Gothic style tomb of the man who originally conceived and founded the cathedral, the Right Reverend Horatio Potter, which was dedicated in 1921.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: An ambulatory, measuring long and wide, surrounds the choir to the north, east, and south, making a rough "U" shape with the two ends of the "U" facing west. The floor is covered with red clay-colored tiles that contain green-serpentine borders. There are wrought-steel gates at either end of the ambulatory. Numerous plaques are present in the ambulatory, paying homage to large donors and other notable individuals in St. John's history. A "poetry wall" and several Madonna paintings are also located in the ambulatory, particularly in the southern part of the ambulatory.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Extending outward from the ambulatory are seven chapels. These chapels are known as the "Chapels of the Tongues", and all were donated by prominent individuals and families. The chapels were designed by four different architects and firms: Heins & LaFarge designed two of the chapels, while Cram designed a third. The Chapels of the Tongues were devoted to seven of the city's largest immigrant groups when the apse was completed: the southernmost three chapels represent "Latin races" and the northernmost three chapels represent "Germanic races". All of the chapels, except for St. Ansgar's, were donated by individuals or families. Clockwise from north, they are devoted to:


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The northwest corner of the apse, adjacent to the St. Ansgar Chapel, includes the octagonal baptistery. The baptistery was donated by three Stuyvesant family siblings in 1924. The space measures in diameter with a ceiling tall. The baptistery's iconography depicts the Stuyvesant family history; icons of New Amsterdam, New York, and Dutch history; and the 12 apostles.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The columbarium, established in the 1970s, is in a room directly west of the baptistery. It contains marble vaults, which store the remains of people from all religions.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Between the nave to the west and the apse to the east is the crossing, designed by Rafael Guastavino. The interior of the crossing includes four massive granite arches, which in the original Heins & LaFarge design were originally intended to support the massive tower above it. When completed in 1900, the arches were described as the "crowning glory" of Morningside Heights. During the time that the nave remained incomplete, temporary walls were placed within the arches so that services could be held in the crossing.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Above the crossing is a domed roof, which was meant as a temporary covering until the tower above the crossing was built. It was completed within fifteen weeks between May and August 1909. The dome is shaped like a saucer, and consists of several overlapping layers of Guastavino tile, which support themselves around the dome's center upon their own weight. The pendentives, or triangular areas between the circular dome and the corners of the arches, are thick; the thickness of the dome itself ranges from on top to at the bottom. Compared to conventional ceilings, the tiles saved money because they did not require temporary supports when they were installed. For added strength, metal rods were included in the dome's shell.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The dome was originally intended to be temporary. Cram had proposed three plans for the structure above the crossing: a steeple, a square tower rising above the crossing floor, and then a slim spire. None of these plans were realized. In 2019, Ennead Architects proposed to build a copper dome over the crossing so that the ceiling tiles could be renovated.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Directly below the crossing is the basement, which contains the crypt, now used as a storage area. The items stored in the crypt include artifacts such as pieces of the destroyed Pennsylvania Station and World Trade Center, as well as wooden angels, plaster gargoyles, leadlights, antique furniture, and a single-file line of saints. The crypt also includes objects such as a large fossil and a massive crystal of quartz, both of which were relocated to the crypt after the 2001 fire. Along either side the basement are rooms, each named after the chapels that they are located under. In the 1980s, the crypt was also home to the Cathedral Works Company, which sold textiles.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The crypt also formerly contained the Tiffany Chapel, created by jewelry designer Louis Comfort Tiffany. Originally exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, it was then acquired by Celia Whipple Wallace and moved to the cathedral in 1898. Services at the cathedral were hosted at the Tiffany Chapel from 1899 to 1911, and the chapel was reacquired by Tiffany in 1916. The chapel has been in the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, since 1999.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The cathedral close, surrounding the main cathedral, consists of several buildings on a site, including the former Leake & Watts asylum building, which predates the land's acquisition by the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The other structures were built later.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The former asylum is located immediately south of the crossing. The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine is located on the eastern boundary of the site, just south of the apse. A Biblical garden is located between the school and the asylum building. To the southwest is a pulpit green, situated between the nave to the north and the Synod Hall and Diocesan House to the south. The Cathedral House is located south of the Biblical garden and east of the pulpit green. The Synod Hall and Diocesan House are located on the southern boundary. Various paths, gardens, play areas, and furniture are located on the cathedral close, as are numerous artworks and several commemorative or religious objects.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The initial plans for the cathedral close, put forth in the 1890s, varied widely. The included a 1892 plan for buildings on Morningside Drive and Cathedral Parkway; various proposals for an Episcopal residence somewhere along the close; and an 1898–1899 plan for a deaconesses' training school. Two other plans were proposed in 1902 and 1903, but after objections to the 1903 plan from St. Luke's Hospital, a new plan was presented in 1906. The Training School for Deaconesses was completed in 1909, independently of the plan. Cram presented to the trustees an extensive plan for all the structures on the grounds in October 1911, and the trustees approved the choir school the same month. The following month, the trustees certified plans for the Synod Hall, bishop's house, and deanery, as well as the never-built diocesan offices and canons' residences. A heating plant at the southwestern corner of the cathedral close (added to the plan in 1913), and two structures planned for the western boundary and approved in 1920, were not built.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The former Leake and Watts Asylum building, designed by Ithiel Town and completed in 1843, is located south of the crossing, where the south transept would have been located. The building, designed in the Greek Revival style, was originally composed of five parts. There was a central pavilion with Ionic-style porticos to the south and north. The front entrance, located within the south portico, was approached by a wide granite staircase. The only decorative element was at the south portico's pediment, which was supported by six stucco-covered brick columns, topped by capitals made of wood. Brick wings flanked the central pavilion to each side, and originally contained wooden porches along their facades, replaced with iron balconies in 1888.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Originally, there were common areas and staff rooms within the central pavilion, and dormitories for 300 children in the wings. When the Episcopal Diocese of New York acquired the site, the former asylum building served several functions for the cathedral. Between 1892 and 1899, it was used as an employee dormitory and construction offices, while the parlor hosted worship services. Afterward, the former asylum's west wing was used by the day school for the cathedral's choirboys between 1901 and 1913. Cathedral leaders had proposed demolishing parts of the asylum building, since it was in the way of the proposed southern transept, though these demolitions did not happen. Subsequently, the west wing was used by the Diocese offices, and the east wing by Cathedral offices until 1949. The building then became the "Exhibit Hall" and the top stories were removed sometime afterward. The structure was renovated in 2004–2012, becoming the "Ithiel Town Building".


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Ithiel Town Building houses a textile laboratory that conserves the cathedral's textiles, including the Barberini tapestries to cartoons by Raphael. The laboratory also conserves tapestries, needlepoint, upholstery, costumes, and other textiles for its clients. The building has also housed the Museum of Religious Art, as well as offices, shops, choir rehearsal quarters, sacristies, and the Cathedral Community Cares program.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Diocesan House, also known as St. Faith's House, is the only building on the cathedral close to be designed by Heins & LaFarge before they were fired. The structure, designed in the Tudor Gothic style, is located on the southern side of the cathedral close, close to Cathedral Parkway (110th Street). It is a -story H-shaped building with a brick facade, a base of Indiana limestone, and gable roofs above the pavilions on the western end. The southern elevation also contains an additional basement story. Its main entrance, on the eastern portion of the northern elevation, is a recessed-arched portal with an oriel window on the third story. , the Diocesan House is used by the diocese's offices and archives; the cathedral's library; and apartments.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Diocesan House was originally built for the New York Training School for Deaconesses, which was established in 1890 and had been searching for new locations since 1898 or 1899. Funds to build the structure were finally received in 1907 after Archdeacon Charles Comfort Tiffany included $125,000 for the deaconesses' school in his will. The building was originally supposed to be on the northern side of the cathedral close, but was moved due to objections from St. Luke's Hospital. Construction started in May 1910 and the school opened by that October. All work was finished in February 1911, and the building was used as a deaconesses' school until May 1948, and it was converted to office use the following year.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Synod Hall (also known as the Synod House) houses the cathedral's synod or council, but is also used for various events and other functions. It was completed in 1913 and was the first of four structures on the cathedral close to be designed by Cram, and was designed to be "the most beautiful thing in New York". It is located at the southwestern corner of the cathedral close. The main entrance, an arched portal facing Amsterdam Avenue, contains carvings of Christian figures, which flank oak double-doors. A carving of George Washington is located between the doors, and six smaller figures are located on the tympanum above the doors. The exterior is made of pink Kingwood sandstone. Inside is a hall that can seat over a thousand people, with gallery seating above the main level. There are grisaille windows to the north and south, and wooden trusses on the ceiling, supporting the gable roof. The Synod Hall also contains a three-manual Skinner pipe organ.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Plans for a diocesan building were considered as early as 1903. The current Synod Hall was announced in 1911, in preparation for the 1913 General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Cram's firm submitted plans for Synod Hall in March 1912, and it opened in October 1913 with the start of the convention. However, the hall was not completed until early 1914. After Bayard Cutting and J. P. Morgan made large donations toward the Synod Hall, the cathedral had to return some of the previous donations, as the two men had given more than enough funds to pay for the building.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The choir school building, now the Cathedral School of St. John the Divine, is located on the cathedral close's eastern border. The building is in the Collegiate Gothic style and is stories tall. The exterior contains gray schist cladding and limestone trim, with architectural features such as a gabled roof, dormers protruding from the roof, and Tudor-style arched openings. Inside, the building contained classrooms; gathering space for reception, dining; music rooms; a library; a gymnasium; a dormitory; and masters' and service rooms.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The choir school was created in 1901 within the Town Building. A separate structure was first proposed in Walter Cook & Winthrop A. Welch's 1906 plan for the campus. In January 1910, Mary Eliza Blodgett (alternatively Mrs. J. Jarrett Blodgett) donated $25,000 toward the new school building's projected $150,000 cost, as a gift to honor her father John H. Sherwood. Blodgett later covered the rest of the choir school building's cost after no one else donated, while former choirboy Frederick G. Bourne provided a $500,000 endowment in 1914. Cram approved Cook & Welch's plan in January 1912 and filed construction plans that July, with work beginning that October. The school building was finished in September 1913. The choir school consisted of day school for 20 adult men and a boarding school for 40 choirboys who paid no tuition. It was turned into a boys' day school in 1964 and a coeducational day school for grades K-8 in 1972.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Episcopal Residence, consisting of the bishop's house (also Cathedral House) and deanery (also Ogilvie House), were the final buildings that Cram designed within the cathedral close. The structures were intentionally built close together to evoke a feeling of coziness. According to Cram, the Chateauesque-style buildings were inspired by "later domestic" buildings in the French Gothic style. The bishop's house is west of the deanery, on slightly higher ground; the deanery is thus hidden behind the bishop's house. A small garden is located at the northeast corner of the buildings.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: As built, the two structures contained a myriad of living space inside. The bishop's house contained eight rooms with seven bathrooms, while the deanery contained 20 rooms with five bathrooms. The deanery is three stories tall; like the choir school, it has gray schist cladding and limestone trim. It contains several pavilions with dormers and gabled roofs, as well as a loggia and an oriel window on the southern elevation. The bishop's house is four stories tall and is largely in the same design, but part of the northern elevation is made of exposed brick, marking the location where it would have connected to the unbuilt southern transept. The ornamentation of the bishop's house contains symbols of the diocesan offices, such as bishops; by contrast, the deanery has simpler decorations, such as depictions of flowers and cats. A private chapel between the two buildings was not built.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: An episcopal residence had been announced in 1897 and Heins & LaFarge drew up plans for such a structure in 1902. The Deanery was donated by Helen Slade Ogilvie in 1911 in memory of her late husband Clinton, while the bishop's house was funded partly by the sale of a previous bishop's house at Gramercy Park. Initially, the site of the two structures was contested because the buildings would have blocked views of the main cathedral from the south. Before the structures' construction started in 1912, the sites for the bishop's house and deanery were relocated eastward. The two buildings' sites were given preliminary approval in May 1912 and were officially approved that October. The bishop's house started in November 1912 and was finished in April 1914. while the deanery was started in February 1913 and completed by that November. Both structures were erected by Leonard Jacob and Frederick T. Youngs. After the 1947 Diocesan Convention, the bishop moved into the upper two floors of the deanery, and the old bishop's house was turned into administration offices.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In 2008, the cathedral leased the southeast corner of its property, which contained the cathedral's playground and Rose Garden, to the AvalonBay Communities, which built a luxury apartment building called the Avalon Morningside Park. The project includes 295 apartments, of which 20% are affordable housing units, as well as replacement rose garden. The cathedral leased the northeastern edge of its property, formerly a parking lot, in 2012. The lessee was the Brodsky Organization, which built a residential building called the Enclave between 2014 and 2015. The Enclave consists of 428 rental apartments in two 15-story buildings, separated by the passageway leading to the northern transept; an underground gallery connects the two buildings.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Both developments leased the land from the cathedral for 99-year terms. The lease on the land under the Enclave pays the Cathedral about $3 million a year; the lease on the Avalon, about $2.5 million.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The cathedral has an annual New Year's Eve Concert for Peace. The Postlude to Act I of Leonard Bernstein's opera "Quiet Place" received its New York premiere at the 1985 concert. The 1990 concert was a tribute to Bernstein himself, who helped found the event and had died two months earlier on October 14.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Paul Winter has given many concerts at the cathedral, and the Paul Winter Consort are the artists in residence. Among the major musical events that takes place every year is a celebration of the feast day of St. Francis, when the Paul Winter Consort participates in a liturgical performance of Winter's "Missa Gaia" (Earth Mass). The musical group also performs at the annual Winter Solstice program.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine has also hosted events with spiritual leaders. Among them are Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, who first visited the cathedral in 1979. In addition, Bishop Desmond Tutu led a service in the cathedral in 1986.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Poets' Corner, inspired by a similar corner at Westminster Abbey, is located in the Arts Bay, on the nave's northern side. It was dedicated in 1985, with Emily Dickinson, Washington Irving, and Walt Whitman being the first poets to be inducted as part of the tradition. The Poets' Corner consists of a poet-in-residence, hired for a five-year term, who in turn appoints electors on staggered terms. The poets-in-residence and electors have included 17 United States Poet Laureates. The electors then vote on choices for honorees, whose names are carved into blocks in the Poets' Corner; subsequent honorees have included Edgar Allan Poe, T. S. Eliot, William Faulkner, and William Carlos Williams. The electors' choices can be overturned, as occurred in 1999, when the Very Reverend Harry Pritchett vetoed Ezra Pound's inclusion because of Pound's anti-Semitic statements during World War II.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The pulpit green contains the "Peace Fountain", a large bronze work of public art by the cathedral's sculptor-in-residence, Greg Wyatt. It was commissioned in 1985 and depicts the struggle of good and evil; a battle between the Archangel Michael and Satan; and images of the Sun, the Moon, and several animals.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Throughout the years, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine has been involved in various initiatives and projects. These programs included youth initiatives, a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, and AIDS outreach. During the Vietnam War, the cathedral was also part of the opposition to United States involvement in the war. The Temple of Understanding, an interfaith organization, was housed at the cathedral for several decades in the late 20th century, moving to Midtown Manhattan in the 1990s.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: Several programs have been directed toward helping members of the surrounding community. In 1971, the cathedral founded ACT (Athletics, Creativity, and Trips), a program that provided after-school activities and summer camp to children in the neighborhood. The program still runs under the name "Advancing the Community of Tomorrow". In 1974, in response to a need for housing in New York City, St. John's created a program that became the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB); by 1987, the program had helped residential tenants in over 500 buildings to renovate and take ownership of their houses. Additionally, a homeless shelter, crisis center, clothes closet, and kitchen are run by in-house volunteers.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In addition to worship services, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine offers both self-guided and guided tours of the interior exhibits, the cathedral close, and the gardens. These tours require paid tickets; there are discounts for seniors and students, as well as for those in tour groups. Admission is also included within several New York City tourist passes. The cathedral is open for tourism between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and between 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays; it is open for worship between 7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on all days of the week. Additionally, St. John's offers three types of "daily tours", specific tours of different aspects of the cathedral, which cost more than the regular tickets.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: The Cathedral of St. John the Divine complex had been considered for designation as an official landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1966. At the time, St. John's trustees had opposed the move because the structure was incomplete, and a landmark designation would have required the commission to review every proposed major expansion thereafter. The church's trustees were able to prevent designation by claiming the church was not completed, using a stipulation in the landmark's law that stated that potential landmarks had to have been completed for at least 30 years. A subsequent landmark designation was precluded in 1979 for a similar reason.


title: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

text: In 2003, the exterior of the cathedral was again considered for landmark status; the interior was ineligible because the commission was legally unable to recognize religious buildings' interiors as landmarks. However, shortly after the commission conferred landmark status on the structure, the designation was unanimously overturned by the New York City Council, some of whose members favored landmark status for the entire cathedral close instead of just the main building. Councilman Bill Perkins proposed that the protective status should also be extended to the cathedral's grounds in order to control development there. The lack of an official city landmark designation meant that the cathedral site could potentially be redeveloped, and as such, two residential buildings were built on the same block as the cathedral. In 2017, the cathedral and six other buildings on the grounds were re-designated a New York City Landmark; the designation excludes the two new structures.


title: Big3

text: Big3 (stylized BIG3) is a 3-on-3 basketball league founded by hip hop musician and actor Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. The league consists of 12 teams whose rosters include both former NBA players and international players. The rules of Big3 games contain deviations from the official rules of 3-on-3 basketball as administered by FIBA. In January 2020, Big3 announced its rule set would be the core of a new basketball variant called "Fireball3" (stylized "FIREBALL3").


title: Big3

text: On January 11, 2017, Ice Cube and Jeff Kwatinetz announced their new 3-on-3 basketball league at the Sheraton Times Square Hotel, in New York City. Roger Mason Jr. was the first President and Commissioner. The Big3 held its first draft on April 30, and the inaugural week of games took place June 25 at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York. On August 26, 2017, Trilogy defeated the 3 Headed Monsters 51–46 in the inaugural Big3 Championship game, completing a perfect (10–0) season. The league's Most Valuable Player award was won by 3 Headed Monsters forward Rashard Lewis; Trilogy's undefeated season led to several awards for members of the team, including Defensive Player of the Year (James White) and Coach of the Year (Rick Mahorn).


title: Big3

text: On March 15, 2017, Clyde Drexler became the second Commissioner, replacing Roger Mason. On April 3, the Big3 and Adidas agreed on a three-year partnership in which Adidas would launch a full retail line of sneakers, clothing, and equipment to launch in 2019. In conjunction with Adidas, the Big3 launched Young3, a youth initiative for underprivileged young kids, that was held in each city with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. At the conclusion of the 2018 regular season, the Power and 3 Headed Monsters were both tied for the league's best record (7–1); the Power would advance to the championship game, while the 3 Headed Monsters were ultimately eliminated by 3's Company in the semifinals. On August 24, 2018, the Power defeated 3's Company 51–43 to become the league's second champions. Power's Corey Maggette was awarded MVP and Captain of the Year, while Power's Nancy Lieberman was awarded Coach of the Year.


title: Big3

text: On January 11, 2019, the Big3 announced that they would expand to 12 teams for the upcoming season, and move to two nights (consisting of three games each) per week. The league will also play in 18 cities, and allow players as young as 27 to compete in the league.


title: Big3

text: On January 15, 2020, Big3 made several major announcements, further lowering its age limit to 22, instituting open tryouts for league players, introducing some additional rule changes, and starting use of Fireball3 to describe its rule set. The competition would not be held in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure the league would have a 2021 season, the league took a $1.6 million Paycheck Protection Program loan during the pandemic, returning $700,000.


title: Big3

text: On February 8, 2021, Big3 announced Chris Hannan, a former senior executive with Fox Sports and Endeavor/IMG, would be assuming the role of Chief Executive Officer.


title: Big3

text: On August 4, 2021, Ice Cube said that the league is one of his greatest accomplishments. He also wants to expand the league to 16 teams to create a 'Big Cup.'


title: Big3

text: In September 2022, Ice Cube replaced Hannan as the new CEO, whereas league co-founder Jeff Kwatinetz was named president.


title: Big3

text: The rules of Fireball3, the basketball variant played by Big3, differ from FIBA-sanctioned 3-on-3 (branded as 3x3) games. They are as follows:


title: Big3

text: During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, players under 30 years old were not eligible to compete in the league. In 2019, the league changed the minimum age to 27 years, and in 2021 the minimum age was lowered again to 22.


title: Big3

text: The Big3 began play in 2017 with eight teams: 3's Company, 3 Headed Monsters, Ball Hogs, Ghost Ballers, Killer 3's, Power, Trilogy, and Tri-State. In 2019, the league expanded to twelve teams, adding Bivouac, Enemies, Aliens, and Triplets. All Big3 teams are "barnstorming" teams and do not represent any cities or geographical regions.


title: Big3

text: In 2017 and 2018, teams competed in an eight-game, eight-week regular season from late-June through mid-August. Each week, a different city hosted four games in which all eight teams would compete. Teams faced each other at least once during the regular season, with a rematch of the week one games occurring in week eight. The four teams with the best record at the end of the regular season qualified for the semifinals.


title: Big3

text: In 2019, the league expanded to 12 teams and visits two cities each week, playing three games in each city.


title: Big3

text: In 2021, the first three weekends and the last two Saturdays of play was held in Las Vegas, with games also played in Dallas, Milwaukee and Chicago.


title: Big3

text: In 2017-2019, the league featured a two-week post-season in August which included a semifinals round and a championship game. Winners of the championship are awarded the Julius Erving Championship Trophy. In addition to the playoff tournament, both weeks featured games (including a consolation game) consisting solely of teams which had been eliminated from championship contention; the results of these games determined those team's final rankings.


title: Big3

text: The Trilogy took home the Big3's inaugural championship trophy in 2017. In 2018, the league's trophy was named in honor of basketball hall of fame inductee (and current Tri-state head coach) Julius Erving. The Power were awarded the trophy in 2018. The Triplets were awarded the trophy in 2019. The Trilogy were awarded their second & third trophy in 2021 & 2022.


title: Big3

text: Annually, players in the Big3 are given an opportunity to nominate and vote for fellow players and coaches in several awards categories. The results of the Big3's awards are announced shortly before the championship game. Award categories include Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, 4th Man, and Defensive Player of the Year, among others.


title: Big3

text: For the 2017 season, Fox Sports 1 carried the 8 weeks of the regular season and the playoffs on tape delay, while Fox broadcast the championship game live. Gus Johnson was the regular play-by-play announcer, though Brian Custer filled-in occasionally, Jim Jackson handled color commentary and Michael Rapaport was the sideline reporter.


title: Big3

text: In 2018, all games were broadcast live on Friday nights, with 4 weeks of games (including the semifinals and championship) on Fox, with the remaining weeks airing on FS1. For 2018, Custer was promoted to be the regular play-by-play announcer while Jackson and Rapaport returned.


title: Big3

text: On April 4, 2019, Big3 announced a new broadcast deal with CBS Sports, under which coverage moved to CBS and CBS Sports Network. In June 2021, Big3 announced a digital media partnership with the video sharing app Triller and FITE TV. This includes 30 hours of live game coverage to stream at no charge within the app (including exclusive coverage of an all-star game), and figures such as Ice Cube and players maintaining presences.


title: Big3

text: For the 2022 season the league remained with broadcast partner CBS to air 28 hours of coverage in the US while DAZN, Vyre Network and the Big 3 YouTube channel broadcast 29 hours in the US and all coverage internationally


title: Particle board

text: Particle board, also known as chipboard or low-density fiberboard, is an engineered wood product manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed and extruded. Particle board is often confused with oriented strand board (OSB) (also known as flakeboard, or waferboard), a different type of fiberboard that uses machined wood flakes and offers more strength.


title: Particle board

text: Particle board is cheaper, denser and more uniform than conventional wood and plywood and is substituted for them when cost is more important than strength and appearance. Particleboard can be made more appealing by painting or the use of wood veneers on visible surfaces. Though it is denser than conventional wood, it is the lightest and weakest type of fiberboard, except for insulation board. Medium-density fibreboard and hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard, are stronger and denser than particleboard. Different grades of particleboard have different densities, with higher density connoting greater strength and greater resistance to failure of screw fasteners.


title: Particle board

text: A significant disadvantage of particleboard is its susceptibility to expansion and discoloration from moisture absorption, particularly when it is not covered with paint or another sealer. Therefore, it is rarely used outdoors or in places where there are high levels of moisture, except in bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, where it is commonly used as an underlayment shielded beneath a moisture resistant continuous sheet of vinyl flooring.


title: Particle board

text: In dry environments, veneered particleboard is preferred over veneered plywood because of its stability, lower cost, and convenience.


title: Particle board

text: Particleboard originated in Germany. It was first produced in 1887, when Hubbard made so-called "artificial wood" from wood flour and an adhesive based on albumin, which was consolidated under high temperature and pressure.


title: Particle board

text: During the Second World War, phenolic resin was more readily accessible than top-grade wood veneer in Germany, and Luftwaffe pilot and inventor Max Himmelheber played a role in making the first sheets of particleboard, which were little more than pourings of floor sweepings, wood chips, and ground-up off-cuts and glue. The first commercial piece was produced during the Second World War at a factory in Bremen, Germany. For its production, waste material was used, such as planer shavings, off-cuts or sawdust, hammer-milled into chips and bound together with a phenolic resin. Hammer-milling involves smashing material into smaller and smaller pieces until they can pass through a screen. Most other early particleboard manufacturers used similar processes, though often with slightly different resins.


title: Particle board

text: It was found that better strength, appearance and resin economy could be achieved by using more uniform, manufactured chips. Producers began processing solid birch, beech, alder, pine and spruce into consistent chips and flakes; these finer layers were then placed on the outside of the board, with its core composed of coarser, cheaper chips. This type of board is known as three-layer particleboard.


title: Particle board

text: More recently, graded-density particleboard has also evolved. It contains particles that gradually become smaller as they get closer to the surface.


title: Particle board

text: Particleboard or chipboard is manufactured by mixing particles or flakes of wood or jute-stick together with a resin and forming the mixture into a sheet. The raw material is fed into a disc chipper with between four and sixteen radially arranged blades. The chips from disk chippers are more uniform in shape and size than from other types of wood chippers. The particles are then dried, and any oversize or undersized particles are screened out.


title: Particle board

text: Resin is then sprayed as a fine mist onto the particles. Several types of resins are used in the procces. Amino-formaldehyde based resins are the best performing based on cost and ease of use. Urea melamine resins offer water resistance with more melamine offering higher resistance. It is typically used in external applications, with the coloured resin darkening the panel. To further enhance the panel properties, resorcinol resins can be mixed with phenolic resins, but that is more often used with marine plywood applications.


title: Particle board

text: Panel production involves other chemicals including wax, dyes, wetting agents and release agents, to aid processing or make the final product resistant to water, fire or insects.


title: Particle board

text: After the particles pass through a mist of resin sufficient to coat all surfaces, they are layered into a continuous carpet. This 'carpet' is then separated into discrete, rectangular 'blankets' which will be compacted in a cold press. A scale weighs the flakes, and they are distributed by rotating rakes. In graded-density particleboard, the flakes are spread by an air jet that throws finer particles further than coarse ones. Two such jets, reversed, allow the particles to build up from fine to coarse and back to fine.


title: Particle board

text: The formed sheets are cold-compressed to reduce thickness and make them easier to transport. Later, they are compressed again, under pressures between and temperatures between to set and harden the glue. The entire process is controlled to ensure the correct size, density and consistency of the board.


title: Particle board

text: The boards are then cooled, trimmed and sanded. They can then be sold as raw board or surface improved through the addition of a wood veneer or laminate surface.


title: Particle board

text: Particle board has had a huge influence on furniture design. In the early 1950s, particle board kitchens started to come into use in furniture construction but, in many cases, it remained more expensive than solid wood. A particle board kitchen was only available to the very wealthy. Once the technology was more developed, particle board became cheaper.


title: Particle board

text: Some large companies base their strategies around providing furniture at a low price. To do this, they use the least expensive materials possible. In almost all cases, this means particle board, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), or the like. However, in order to maintain a reputation for quality at low cost, manufacturers may use higher grades of particle board, e.g., higher density particle board, thicker particle board, or particle board using higher-quality resins. One may note the amount of sag in a shelf of a given width in order to draw the distinction.


title: Particle board

text: In general, the much lower cost of sheet goods (particle board, medium density fiberboard, and other engineered wood products) has helped to displace solid wood from many cabinetry applications.


title: Particle board

text: Safety concerns exist for both manufacturing and use. Fine dust and chemicals are released when particleboard is machined (e.g., sawing or routing). Occupational exposure limits exist in many countries recognizing the hazard of wood dusts. Cutting particle board can release formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide in the case of amino resins, and phenol in the case of phenol formaldehyde resins.


title: Particle board

text: The other safety concern is the slow release of formaldehyde over time. In 1984 concerns about the high indoor levels of formaldehyde in new manufactured homes led the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to set construction standards. Particleboard (PB), medium-density fibreboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB), and laminated flooring have been major sources of formaldehyde emissions. In response to consumer and woodworker pressure on the industry, PB and MDF became available in "no added formaldehyde" (NAF) versions, but were not in common use . Many other building materials such as furniture finish, carpeting and caulking give off formaldehyde, as well as urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, which is banned in Canada for installation in a residential closed cavity wall. Formaldehyde is classified by the WHO as a known human carcinogen.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Tomato sauce (also known as salsa roja in Spanish or salsa di pomodoro in Italian) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish, rather than as a condiment. Tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables, but they are perhaps best known as bases for sauces for Mexican salsas and Italian pasta dishes. Tomatoes have a rich flavor, high water content, soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken into a sauce when stewed without the need of thickeners such as roux or masa. All of these qualities make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.


title: Tomato sauce

text: In countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the term "tomato sauce" is used to describe a condiment similar to what Americans call tomato ketchup. In some of these countries, both terms are used for the condiment.


title: Tomato sauce

text: The first European person to write about, what may have been, tomato sauce was Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar from the Kingdom of Spain. Sahagún later moved to New Spain, where he mentioned a prepared sauce that was offered for sale in the markets of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City, today). The first Italian cookbook to include tomato sauce, "Lo Scalco alla Moderna" ('The Modern Steward'), was written by Italian chef Antonio Latini and was published in two volumes in 1692 and 1694. The use of tomato sauce with pasta appeared for the first time in 1790 in the Italian cookbook "L'Apicio moderno", by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi.


title: Tomato sauce

text: A simple European-style tomato sauce consists of chopped tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and simmered until they lose their raw flavor, seasoned to taste with salt, or other herbs or spices. Optionally, tomato skins may be scalded and peeled according to texture (especially thicker "pelati" paste varieties) and tomato seeds may be removed for aesthetic purposes, leaving just the tomato flesh and pulp.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Depending on how it is cooked, tomato sauce may be thinner than the tomato purée or tomato paste it may be made from. It may serve as an ingredient in other dishes, like spaghetti and meatballs or tomato soup.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Water or a more flavorful liquid such as stock or wine is sometimes added to keep the sauce from becoming too thick while simmering. Onion and garlic are typically sweated or sautéed before the tomatoes are added, or puréed together with tomatoes and then cooked together. Other seasonings typically include dried red chili flakes, epazote, basil, oregano, parsley, and black pepper. Ground or chopped meat is also common.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Tomato sauce was an ancient condiment in Mesoamerican food. The first person to write about what may have been a tomato sauce was Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar from the Kingdom of Spain who later moved to New Spain, made note of a prepared sauce that was offered for sale in the markets of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City today). Of this he wrote (translated from Spanish), Spaniards later brought the use of tomatoes to Europe.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Basic Mexican tomato sauce ("salsa de tomate rojo o jitomate") was traditionally prepared with a molcajete to puree the tomatoes. Food that is cooked in tomato sauce is known as entomatada. Tomato sauce is used as a base for spicy sauces and moles.


title: Tomato sauce

text: The misconception that the tomato has been central to Italian cuisine since its introduction from the Americas is often repeated. Though the tomato was introduced from the Spanish New World to European botanists in the 16th century, tomato sauce made a relatively late entry in Italian cuisine: in Antonio Latini's cookbook "Lo scalco alla moderna" (Naples, 1692).


title: Tomato sauce

text: Latini was chef to the Spanish viceroy of Naples, and one of his tomato recipes is for sauce "alla spagnuola", "in the Spanish style". The first known use of tomato sauce with pasta appears in the Italian cookbook "L'Apicio moderno", by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi, edited in 1790.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Italian varieties of tomato sauce range from the very simple pasta al pomodoro to the piquant puttanesca and arrabbiata sauces. Tomato sauce with pasta can stand on its own or it can also be paired with ingredients such as sausage, clams, pancetta cubes, tuna or vegetables, for a more lively pasta dish.


title: Tomato sauce

text: Tomato-garlic sauce is prepared using tomatoes as a main ingredient, and is used in various cuisines and dishes. In Italian cuisine, "alla pizzaiola" refers to tomato-garlic sauce, which is used on pizza, pasta and meats.


title: Tomato sauce

text: is one of the five mother sauces of classical French cooking, as codified by Auguste Escoffier in the early 20th century. It consists of salt belly of pork, onions, bay leaves, thyme, tomato purée or fresh tomatoes, roux, garlic, salt, sugar, and pepper.


title: Tomato sauce

text: The most common use of the term tomato sauce in New Zealand and South Africa is to describe a popular, commercially produced condiment that is a type of table sauce, similar to American ketchup but without vinegar, which is typically applied to foods such as meat pies, sausages, other cooked meat (in particular steak), and fish and chips. Tomato-based sauces served with pasta would commonly be referred to as "pasta sauce" or "Napoletana sauce".


title: Tomato sauce

text: The meaning of the term "tomato sauce" depends on the context; on a restaurant menu the phrase "in a tomato sauce" means a freshly prepared tomato-based sauce as used on pasta, and colloquially it may refer to either the pasta sauce, or tomato ketchup.


title: Tomato sauce

text: In Australia "tomato sauce" generally refers to the same style of table sauce as American ketchup but varies in mixture and does not contain onions. Some sources say that Australian tomato sauce has less tomato than ketchup, but this varies between brands and is not a universal feature. Australian tomato sauce is used in the same way as American ketchup.


title: Tomato sauce

text: The sauces used in preparing meals such as pasta, or stews are usually called Pasta sauce or if in the context of cooking, tomato sauce.


title: Tomato sauce

text: In the U.S. tomato sauce is typically sold canned, with minimal ingredients, and is not normally used as is. Related ingredients are tomato purée and tomato paste, each of which is similar but paste has a thicker consistency. Tomato purée and tomato paste have FDA standards of identity (since 1939) for percentage of tomato solids, and historically did not contain seasonings other than salt; in recent decades variants with basil or other traditional Italian seasonings became common. Tomato sauce is non-standardized.


title: Tomato sauce

text: A spicy tomato sauce known as "sauce piquante" is common in Louisiana Cajun cuisine, that can contain any seafood, poultry, or meats such as wild game. It is typically served over white rice. In Louisiana Creole cuisine, there is a tomato sauce known as a Creole sauce. It is similar to Italian tomato sauce, but features more Louisiana flavors derived from the fusion of French and Spanish cooking styles. They both usually contain the traditional holy trinity of diced bell pepper, onion, and celery.


title: Tomato sauce

text: "Tomato gravy" is distinct from the term as used by Italian Americans when referring to a type of tomato sauce particularly where tomatoes were a staple food. The cooked tomatoes, some fat (usually cured pork fat) and flour are cooked together until thick, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Onions or bell peppers may be added as well. Typically, tomato gravy is served over pasta.


title: The Naked Director

text: "The Naked Director" follows the story of "Muranishi's unusual and dramatic life filled with big ambitions as well as spectacular setbacks in his attempt to turn Japan's porn industry on its head."


title: The Naked Director

text: Executive producer Kazutaka Sakamoto came across Nobuhiro Motohashi's "Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru Den" in early 2017. A director friend of his had been trying to adapt it, but gave up and hoped Sakamoto could make it happen at Netflix. Although mainly taking place in the 1980s, Netflix expected it to be universal and relevant to contemporary viewers, and that it be a compelling underdog story. After the production was green-lit, Sakamoto brought in Jason George, a producer on the Netflix series "Narcos", as a consultant. He wanted George's advice on depicting an outlaw character that viewers can empathize with and how to make sure the sex scenes would not come across as gratuitous or disrespectful to women. The discussions were so fruitful that Sakamoto had George supervise the script too.


title: The Naked Director

text: On October 25, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of eight episodes. It was the first production for Netflix's Japanese branch. The series is co-directed by Masaharu Take and co-written by Kosuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada and Eiji Uchida. Mark Schilling reported that with "a generous (but undisclosed) budget", the writing team spent nearly a year crafting the script. "The Nikkei" reported that "The Naked Director" is estimated to have cost 100 million yen per episode, in contrast to most Japanese TV shows which cost tens of millions of yen per episode.


title: The Naked Director

text: Take stated that without Netflix, the project would not have been realized as it would have been hard to get it on Japanese television. He said that the story is a mix of true story and fiction, as Muranishi told them they could be as free with the facts as they wanted as long as it was interesting. Uchida wrote "I believe that Japanese films have to change. They have to look outward and overseas. This series was made with just that thought in mind."


title: The Naked Director

text: On August 15, 2019, the series was renewed by Netflix for a second season. In January 2020, "The Nikkei" wrote that the season would follow Muranishi's downfall, mirroring Japan's economic slump of the early 1990s. The second season was released on June 24, 2021.


title: The Naked Director

text: Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Takayuki Yamada, Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Tetsuji Tamayama would star in the series. Take revealed that Yamada was attached to the show from the very beginning, and said that Misato Morita "totally became Kuroki in her mind. She didn't resemble her, but her voice became exactly the same." In July 2019, it was announced that Jade Albany Pietrantonio would star in the series.


title: The Naked Director

text: Principal photography for the first season took place in 2018. In January 2020, "The Nikkei" reported that production for season two would begin in the spring.


title: The Naked Director

text: "HuffPost" columnist Soichiro Matsutani called the first season of "The Naked Director" a "masterpiece" and compared it to the acclaimed films "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and "Boogie Nights". He praised the show's depiction of the early days of Japan's adult video industry, particularly how it showed the connections between the AV industry, the criminal underworld, and the police, something the original book did not. Another difference from the source material that Matsutani noted, is how the porn industry is never portrayed as a bright and glamorous world; it features characters who suffer from the social stigma often directed at those who work in the profession.


title: The Naked Director

text: Describing the show as a "raucous sex comedy and action-packed underworld narrative in [a] tale of a pornographic revolution," Brenden Gallagher of "The Daily Dot" gave "The Naked Director" 3 out of 5 stars. He praised the show for immersing the audience in Japanese culture, Yamada's performance, and the writing for melding humor and emotion. However, he criticized some of the supporting cast for being unable to balance the seriousness and humor. Unlike Gallagher however, "The Daily Beast"s Jordan Julian called the show's switching between comedy and drama "whiplash-inducing at times" but said as the season progresses it begins to "feel more like a crime show than anything else—a Japanese interpretation of "Breaking Bad"." John Serba of "Decider" called the first episode "funny and colorful", Yamada a strong lead, and the supporting cast "mostly inspired", and recommended the show. Both Serba and Gallagher compared "The Naked Director" to "Californication".


title: The Naked Director

text: Reviewing season two for Thrillist, Joshua Robinson called it "A Whirlwind Of Brilliant Highs & Overindulgent Lows". Although praising Yamada's "spirited—and at times, villainous—performance" as absolutely brilliant, he wrote that "The novelty and shock value of the comedic drama has faded away, despite the show's poignant storylines, and many of the show's best characters have either died or moved on from the world of porn when it's all said and done."


title: The Naked Director

text: Masae Ido of "Gendai Business" criticized the series for depicting Muranishi as a sexual liberator and advocate for women despite his real-life opinions, such as a tweet that said "The female lawyers who spearhead the feminist movement on the porn coercion issue all look like they attract no men", which she found "divergent" from the depiction. Iku Okada of "Newsweek Japan" found advertisements for the series to be "glorifying the sex industry of a time when unjust exploitation was commonplace", and wrote that the character of Muranishi "never reflects on his own shameful revenge or the misogyny that can be felt behind it".


title: The Naked Director

text: The series was also criticized for depicting Kaoru Kuroki using her real stage name without her permission. In a 1994 interview, Kuroki stated that she had suffered physical violence from Muranishi. She retired from public life the same year and has successfully sued publishers for privacy infringement. When asked about the criticism, Netflix stated that neither Kuroki nor Muranishi were involved in the production and that the series is merely an adaptation of Motohashi's book.


title: David Zucker

text: David Samuel Zucker (born October 16, 1947) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Associated mostly with parody comedies, Zucker is recognized as the director and writer of the critically successful 1980 film "Airplane!" as well as being the creator of "The Naked Gun" franchise and for directing "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4".


title: David Zucker

text: Zucker's movies include "The Kentucky Fried Movie" in 1977, "Ruthless People" in 1986, "The Naked Gun" in 1988, "" in 1991, "BASEketball" in 1998, "Scary Movie 3" in 2003, and its sequel "Scary Movie 4" in 2006. Out of 18 works he is associated with," Phone Booth", which he produced in 2002, is the only non-comedic film.


title: David Zucker

text: He co-directed several films including "Airplane!" in 1980 and "Top Secret!" in 1984; along with his brother, Jerry, and Jim Abrahams, the trio make up the "ZAZ" team of directors. He has also worked with Pat Proft (with whom he first teamed up on the "Naked Gun" show "Police Squad!") and Craig Mazin (writer of three of the five "Scary Movies"). In 1987, both David and Jerry Zucker through Zucker Brothers Productions had inked an agreement with Paramount Pictures for a two-year non-exclusive production agreement and development deal with the studio, and the brothers had anticipated cranking out four comedies for Paramount Pictures during the life of the pact, and the first film was a feature film version of the early 1980s television show "Police Squad!", which was originally cancelled after six episodes on the air.


title: David Zucker

text: ZAZ and Proft helped develop the parody genre of films, in which jokes are spit out with rapid-fire, using puns, physical humor, wit, and double entendres. Some of the veteran actors of ZAZ's vision of parody include Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Charlie Sheen, Julie Hagerty, and Anna Faris (Faris starred in four of the "Scary Movie" series).


title: David Zucker

text: Looking back on his career in 2009, Leslie Nielsen said the best film he appeared in was "The Naked Gun", and that Zucker was his favorite director to work with. Nielsen said of him, "He came to me one time and said, 'Leslie, I'll never make you do anything that is not funny.' And he kept his word." Most consider his greatest work to be "Airplane!", which has brought on many accolades (including preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress).


title: David Zucker

text: In his movies, his mother, Charlotte was often cast in a small bit part (like the lady trying to put on make-up in "Airplane!", one of the Lucille Ball impersonators in "Rat Race", and Vincent Ludwig's secretary, Dominique, in "").