[3] Danielson considered the existing architecture of the area in his design, saying that the tower "complements the forms and material of the adjacent Christ the Teacher Chapel by noted architect Pietro Belluschi, particularly in the shape of the cupola.

The brushed stainless steel cross with a small glass globe in the center, at the tower's peak,[3] casts a shadow that contains light within it, a reference to the Christian idea that there is a core of hope in the darkness of Jesus' death.

[4] The university's president, Father William Beauchamp, said that the tower serves as "constant visual and auditory reminder of the faith that has built and sustained this great institution".

[1] Reverend Tom Doyle, executive vice president, said that the tower "[augments] and [highlights] the spiritual nature of the education that takes place here" and "[draws] in, subtly, the historic components of the campus".

[6][7] To celebrate the tower's opening, the university produced and released the album Ring Out Your Joy, which features fifteen musical compositions recorded in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher and performed by more than 100 community members.

[12] More than 200 students, faculty, and staff gathered at the tower in September 2017 to protest the repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and to support those affected by the immigration policy change.