Favorite Church Architecture

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Here is Sta. Monica Catholic Church, constructed in 1698 in Panay, Philippines of coquina, which is a porous sedimentary stone composed primarily of small seashells.

http://capiznon.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/sta-monica-church.jpg

 

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Here is an excellent example of a church building constructed in granite, the most durable of the building stones. It is St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Bristol, Connecticut and was constructed in 1925 in the Gothic Revival mode of the period.

http://www.stjosephbristol.org/the-church-building

Stained glass windows - http://www.stjosephbristol.org/

 

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Here is another lovely example of 1920's Gothic Revival church architecture - the United Methodist Church of the Saviour in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

A fine webpage with a good discussion of the stone - Guide To Stones Used for Houses of Worship in Northeastern Ohio.

The exterior - http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4bJBXm_R9OQ/TTEh79a7dnI/AAAAAAAAA2U/xwSMvDFlTD8/s1600/church%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bsaviour.jpg

The interior - Church+fof+the+Saviour+Sanctuary.jpg (image)

 

[Mr Dave]

Like the above, The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Lyon) is impressive both with regards to its interior and its exterior. - Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brilliant interior photo here - Notre Dame of Lyon - aka How to Take Clandestine Cathedral Pictures in 10 Steps | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Tawny]

I love all church architecture, we are lucky here in because you can't swing a cat without hitting a 15th century church.

At the weekend I took my Girl Guides away and we visited a very special place called the 'Tree Cathedral' at Whipsnade in Bedfordshire, you can read about it in the link below

Tree Cathedral

 

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I love all church architecture, we are lucky here in because you can't swing a cat without hitting a 15th century church.

At the weekend I took my Girl Guides away and we visited a very special place called the 'Tree Cathedral' at Whipsnade in Bedfordshire, you can read about it in the link below

Tree Cathedral

That is really quite lovely. I am impressed that it is maintained, because landscapes can be dreadfully difficult to keep up. In time trees will mature and eventually die. Do you know if any plans are in place? I note that the rows of poplars died out quite early and were replaced with hardier species.

I once worked at a historic site that had formal gardens. Lining the walkways were Japanese yew bushes which, over the span of five decades had grown to forty feet in diameter, becoming the largest of their type in the world. Then disaster hit and one died, marring the formal symmetry of the landscape. The result was that all were removed and replaced with the tree species indicated on surviving design drawings by the original landscape architect.

 

[Tawny]

That is really quite lovely. I am impressed that it is maintained, because landscapes can be dreadfully difficult to keep up. In time trees will mature and eventually die. Do you know if any plans are in place? I note that the rows of poplars died out quite early and were replaced with hardier species.

I once worked at a historic site that had formal gardens. Lining the walkways were Japanese yew bushes which, over the span of five decades had grown to forty feet in diameter, becoming the largest of their type in the world. Then disaster hit and one died, marring the formal symmetry of the landscape. The result was that all were removed and replaced with the tree species indicated on surviving design drawings by the original landscape architect.

I am not sure what plans are in place but it is now cared for by the National Trust so I am sure it will be looked after in perpetuity. It used to be maintained by Bedfordshire Girl Guides which makes me very proud indeed to belong to a movement that maintained it for so long.

 

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Like the above, The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Lyon) is impressive both with regards to its interior and its exterior. - Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brilliant interior photo here - Notre Dame of Lyon - aka How to Take Clandestine Cathedral Pictures in 10 Steps | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Very interesting. It puts me in mind of Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, the famous castle of Ludwig II. This is quite castellated with interiors as lavish as those of Neuschwanstein. They are of the same period.

 

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I am not sure what plans are in place but it is now cared for by the National Trust so I am sure it will be looked after in perpetuity. It used to be maintained by Bedfordshire Girl Guides which makes me very proud indeed to belong to a movement that maintained it for so long.

Yes, the National Trust has a well-deserved reputation for the care of its sites. The Girl Scouts here in the U.S. do not seem to take on projects such as this. The Girl Guides are to be commended for the excellent care of this site and you have every right to be proud to belong to them.

 

[Mr Dave]

Very interesting. It puts me in mind of Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, the famous castle of Ludwig II. This is quite castellated with interiors as lavish as those of Neuschwanstein. They are of the same period.

I see what you mean

(My housemates and I are doing a jigsaw puzzle of Neuschwanstein right now actually)

 

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I see what you mean

(My housemates and I are doing a jigsaw puzzle of Neuschwanstein right now actually)

Here is a Google page of images of Neuschwanstein for those who may be unfamiliar with it - neuschwanstein castle interior - Google Search

And here is a photo of the private chapel in Neuschwanstein. Adjoining the bedroom is the small Chapel, dedicated to the Patron Saint of the King - Louis IX of France (St. Louis). The richly carved winged-altar is set into the decorated wall, and the altar paintings show scenes from the life of St. Louis. The stained glass windows to the right show St. Louis receiving the last sacraments. The windows are the work of the "Mayerischen" Court Art-Studio. The architectural inspiration of the chapel is the lower chapel of Sainte Chapelle in Paris.

Here is a photo of the Lower chapel of Sainte Chapelle for comparison -

 

[cowboysfan1970]

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - YouTube

 

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Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception - YouTube

When I visited the basilica some years ago I found it to be in an odd location and constructed in a 1950's neo-traditional style. I have not been a huge fan of 1950's architecture, neo-traditional or otherwise.

 

[ephesians4:2]

First Unitarian Church in Rochester NY design by Louis Kahn

 

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Here is a link to a Google page of images of the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Iowa. It is the pride and joy of the town. Constructed in a brick version of late nineteenth-century Gothic Revival architecture, it has all the bells and whistles.

dyersville basilica - Google Search

 

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First Unitarian Church in Rochester NY design by Louis Kahn

Although Kahn was not at all noted for his ecclesiastical architecture (he was a non-observant Jew), this building is very typical of his style. The Salk Institute is very similar to this. He did love his brick architecture!

 

[ephesians4:2]

Although Kahn was not at all noted for his ecclesiastical architecture (he was a non-observant Jew), this building is very typical of his style. The Salk Institute is very similar to this. He did love his brick architecture!

I love Kahn and Botta's styles, very timeless, spiritual and monumental. I feel Kahn and possibly Botta put so much heart and soul into their works. I know Kahn was notorious for designing at a slow pace with almost no regard for deadlines, but I feel it paid off in all his works ( Kimbell, Salk, IIM, and Exeter to name a few).

As a architecture conservationist you obviously know more about the field/art than I do. I personally feel the architecture of our day is meaningless and will not be remembered for the most part. Kahn and Botta I feel have timelessness in mind when they design their works. They will always touch the soul of the inhabitants and will be appreciated and preserved.

 

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I love Kahn and Botta's styles, very timeless, spiritual and monumental. I feel Kahn and possibly Botta put so much heart and soul into their works. I know Kahn was notorious for designing at a slow pace with almost no regard for deadlines, but I feel it paid off in all his works ( Kimbell, Salk, IIM, and Exeter to name a few).

As a architecture conservationist you obviously know more about the field/art than I do. I personally feel the architecture of our day is meaningless and will not be remembered for the most part. Kahn and Botta I feel have timelessness in mind when they design their works. They will always touch the soul of the inhabitants and will be appreciated and preserved.

Architecture and history are strange companions. Many of the greatest architects of their time are now quite forgotten and their works erased from the earth whereas many lesser architects are now revered and their works preserved. For example, how many here know of Karl Friedrich Shinkel, the great German architect?

One of the difficulties with twentieth-century architecture was the hubris of many of the designers who either were willfully ignorant of basic design principles which would allow their works to be preserved or believed that technology had overcome such basic issues. For example, most of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings have undergone massive reconstruction and restoration, without which they would have disintegrated.

The works of Kahn and Botta are typical of these problems. Kahn loved flat roofs which, except for a few, very dry areas of the United States, are prone to leaking. Both of these designers used unproven architectural technologies and materials which have proven to pose significant obstacles to the preservation of their buildings.

There is a preservation group, DOCOMOMO, which is focussed on preservation of the works of twentieth-century modernism. It is a very daunting task, indeed. Only time will tell whether or not our successors can enjoy the three-dimensional reality of these architectural work or if all they will have is two-dimensional represenations of them.

Here is a link to a nice webpage depicting on of the iconic churches of twentieth-century Modernism - the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France by Le Corbusier. It has a great number of conservation issues related both to its design and to its materials.

http://www.wayfaring.info/2008/06/12/notre-dame-du-haut-ronchamp/

 

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Here is webpage of beautiful churches. As you can see, many of them are not large or grand and some are frankly homely. Beauty is in the lens of the photographer.

Pictures for Everyone,,,no Trash: Beautiful Churches

 

[cowboysfan1970]

Berliner Dom.

Inside Berliner Dom - Panorama (HD) - YouTube