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The construction of the Biltmore Estate in the 1890's introduced many master craftsmen, architects, landscapers and artisans of all types to the beauty that is Asheville. Many of those talented and creative minds, men who were at the height of their careers and renowned throughout this country, if not the world, loved the area so much they ended up spending the rest of their lives here and contributed greatly to the architectural skyline of Asheville and the surrounding area. Such is the case with Rafael Guastavino II (seen in top photo), a man who made his reputation and fortune with a highly crafted, ancient and fireproof type of tile work that came to be known as the patented "Guastavino Method." Mr. Guastavino perfected a method of lightweight tile work that made huge, self-supporting domes possible. The "Guastavino Method" was an improvement on the ancient Catalan vaulting method, or timbrel vaulting, a cohesive system of layering ceramic tiles in mortar to form a solid shell. By incorporating two to three layers of tile in varying patterns, timbrel vaulted ceilings were incredibly thin and strong in comparison to other popular methods of the time. The beauty of the patterns and artwork that resulted from his method made for some of the finest floors, roofs, stairs and domed ceilings in the country.
Guastavino also built, for his own use, a beautiful 1,000-acre estate, Rhododendron, east of Asheville in Black Mountain. His former estate has been the property of the Christmount Christian Assembly since 1947, and the church lovingly and carefully carries on preservation and restoration work of the buildings that remain from Guastavino's time.
The month of November will see several events honoring this man who so profoundly impacted Asheville. Saint Lawrence Basilica will be open daily for self-guided tours, and conducted tours will be available on weekends following Mass. Guastavino brochures are available in the vestibule, or call 828-252-6042 for more information. From November 8, 2001, through February 6, 2002, the Asheville Art Museum will offer an exhibit entitled "Rafael Guastavino: Barcelona to Black Mountain." The Museum, located at 2 South Pack Square in the Pack Place Education, Arts and Science Center, is open daily; call 828-253-3227 for details. Sunday, November 18, will be Guastavino Day at Pack Library. The library, located at 67 Haywood Street, will host guided tours of Saint Lawrence at 1:15PM, and a program that features speaker Peter Austin will follow.
The Asheville Urban Trail also conducts tours of downtown Asheville that include Saint Lawrence Basilica. Call 828-259-5498/ext 4000 to arrange for a tour, either guided or self-guided. In addition, UNC-Asheville will hold a two-day Guastavino workshop in 2002, and Saint Lawrence Basilica will hold the performance of a Mass composed by Guastavino, who was also an accomplished musician and composer, at some time in 2002. Dates for these two events will be published as soon as they are determined. William F. Wescott, preservation engineer and Asheville resident who contributed to this article says, "The events in Western North Carolina celebrating the works of Guastavino have lit a fire nationally and internationally toward creating awareness of Guastavino whose works includes more than 1,000 buildings worldwide." (photos of Guastavino and Basilica of St. Lawrence provided by Basilica of St. Lawrence, photo of Grand Central Station provided by Columbia University, photo of St. Mary's Church provided by Saint Mary's Chruch)
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Rafael Guastavino (1842-1908) was born in Valencia, Spain. After studying and building a successful architectural business in Barcelona, Mr. Guastavino, with his young son Rafael III, moved to the United States in 1881 with the expectation of finding a more standardized construction industry and greater professional opportunities. Initially, he struggled to establish himself as an architect, but soon found his direction by concentrating exclusively on the construction of timbrel vaulting. In collaboration with some of this country's most prominent architectural firms, Mr. Guastavino found his niche, and went on to participate prominently in the construction of architectural masterpieces such as the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, Grand Central Station (seen in second photo), Carnegie Hall, and the Great Hall at Ellis Island in New York, the Boston Public Library, the chapel at West Point, and Grant's Tomb. In North Carolina, his work can be found in the Duke Chapel in Durham, the Jefferson Standard Building in Greensboro, the Motley Memorial in Chapel Hill, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wilmington (see bottom photo), and the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Asheville. 
Given the grandeur and scope of Rafael Guastavino's work and reputation, Asheville is fortunate indeed to have one of his major works right in the heart of downtown. The Basilica of Saint Lawrence (seen in photo to right), a collaboration of the talents of Mr. Guastavino and R. S. Smith, field architect of the Biltmore House, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This breathtaking church is in the Spanish Baroque Revival style, and was built between 1905-09 at 97 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. The church employs Guastavino's "cohesive construction" technique in its 58- by 85-foot self-supporting tiled dome that is reputedly the largest freestanding elliptical dome in the country. The same vaulting is used in the church's tower staircase. A closer look at Guastavino's tile work can be had in the Lady Chapel (on the west side of the main sanctuary), with its blue tile dome and ceiling. As a testament to the architect's wish to have the church stand for generations, no wood or steel was used in its construction; only masonry and a massive stone foundation are found in the structure. The roof was constructed of tile with a copper covering.
The Asheville Art Museum is also sponsoring a trip to New York City that will highlight Guastavino's work in that city. The trip is scheduled for November 9-11. For details on the trip, call the Museum at 828-253-3227.