About CPF and the Awards

Held in conjunction with CPF’s 2026 Annual Conference in Riverside, the 2026 Mission Inn Preservation Design Awards Ceremony and Reception will spotlight excellence in historic preservation in a setting that reflects the very spirit of the work being honored. This special evening brings together award recipients, conference participants, preservation leaders, and supporters from across California to celebrate outstanding preservation projects and leadership through the Preservation Design Awards and President’s Awards.

Founded in 1978, the California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is California’s statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of historic places and cultural heritage. Through education, advocacy, and community-centered programs, CPF supports the people, projects, and policies that keep California’s historic resources vital and valued. We now support a national network of more than 36,000 members and supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a member.

Project Team

Client: Resurrection Oakland Church 
Pastor, Brent Webster

Nzilani Glass Conservation
Project Lead & Principal Conservator
Ariana Makau

Studio Head
Armelle Le Roux

Operations Manager
Lydia Henkel-Moellmann

Videographer
Dylan Nolfi

Glaziers
Tim Eyes
Jenna Kurtz
Jesse Medina
Stephen Steinbrink

Stained Glass Conservator
Greer Ashman

Master Carpenter
Albert Wengerd

Support Team:

Architectural Metalsmiths
Frank Trousil & Doug Whaley

Rbhu Engineering
Co-Founder
Alireza (Ali) Lahijanian

Rigger
Sean Cotton

Unique Scaffolding
John Soto 
Jamey Knight

 

118-year-old Inverted Stained Glass Dome Conservation, Resurrection Oakland

The Stained Glass Dome Conservation of Resurrection Oakland is the winner of a 2020 Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology. Award recipients are selected by a jury of top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, planning, and history, as well as renowned architecture critics and journalists. The Award will be presented on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at an online awards ceremony. Tickets and sponsorship options are available at californiapreservation.org/awards.

Read more about the Preservation Design Awards

About this project

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

A colorful, intricate stained glass dome ceiling with geometric and floral patterns. Text overlay highlights a 118-year-old inverted stained glass dome conservation at Resurrection Oakland, winner of a 2020 preservation award.
Gloved hands work on restoring an inverted stained glass dome using labeled glass pieces; text highlights a conservation project in Oakland that won a 2020 Preservation Design Award.
Sepia-toned image of the First Christian Science Church in Oakland, California, featuring a large stone building with arched windows, cone-shaped towers, and a rounded entrance porch.
A view from above of a large, circular stained glass skylight with a metal frame and muted colors, surrounded by wooden beams and lighting fixtures in what appears to be an attic or maintenance area.
A close up of a stained glass window.
Close-up of a stained glass panel featuring pastel purple, green, and red glass pieces with gold-colored solder lines; wood shavings and debris are scattered around the glass.