Crystal Cathedral is both strikingly modern in its crystalline geometry and its transparency and a throwback to the medieval cathedral-builders' preoccupation with structure and lightness. Although the spectacular glass sanctuary (at right) resembles nothing so much as a giant greenhouse, Johnson and his partner, John Burgee, included several religious cues. The 2,800 congregants sit in wooden pews. To improve sightlines, these are distributed in a tiered, arenalike fashion rather than a nave. A giant organ and a choir stall form a backdrop to the pulpit, not unlike in a traditional church. In the place of religious icons one finds only water and foliage, a practice introduced by Neutra next door. The vast interior is too bright to be mysterious, but it is not without drama: During the service, a full-height section of wall behind the pulpit swings theatrically open to reveal the sky. With Crystal Cathedral, Johnson bravely ventured onto the knife-edge of kitsch and produced a building that was both familiar and new, suburban and transcendental.