The Basilica of Saint Lawrence sits a few blocks north of Pack Square and is easily Asheville's most surprising piece of architecture. Rafael Guastavino, who developed the interlocking tile vault system used in Grand Central Terminal and the Boston Public Library, designed it himself, and the church is a showcase of the technique: a 58-by-82-foot elliptical tile dome, vaulted ceilings, and twin towers, all built from tile and brick without any structural steel.
It was consecrated in 1909 and elevated to basilica status by the Vatican in 1993. Inside, the proportions and the brick palette feel more Catalan than Carolinian. Admission is free and visitors can wander in any day the building is not in use.