Creating a Beautiful Church Building - Step 2: Think Holistically

7/28/2019 Creating a Beautiful Church Building - Step 2: Think Holistically

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November 2004 / Church & Worship Technology38

STEP 2: THINK HOLISTICALLYCREATINGA Beautiful Church Buildingby Carl G. Harkins Jr.

The palace staff typically worshipped in the lower church of Ste. Chapelle.

Art is the path of the creator to his work.Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Poet, 1856


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work is coming to move out, someone

traveling with us might ask: Does any one

know where we are going? Why are we

following this path? And what are we going

to see when we get there? Oh, great, a

grumblerand just when we thought we

had smoothed out all the emotional threatsof getting this done.

Well, hang on; dont chastise that

person too muchbecause there is real

validity in the questions they are asking.

Think about it for a second; are you clear

about your destination? Are you sure about

your footing on this path, so that you are

able to address all of the little decisions that

come as you move toward realizing your

destination? Do you have any idea of how

those decisions are going to come together

to capture the grand design that will propel

the churchs ministries up to the next level

of effectiveness?

If you can affirmatively answer these

questions, greatdo so, and your journey

up the path can accelerate its ascent. But if

you cant quite put a concise answer to the

questions, maybe you need to take a

switchbackan alternate path that gives

people a chance to slowly work their way

back-and-forth up a steep rise on the way to

their destination. Now, I like switchbacks

because while you will get to the same

place you would have gotten I you had usedthe quick, direct trail, switchbacks also

allow you the luxury of looking at the

scenery around you as you gradually get to

the top of the hill. Switchbacks allow you to

see the long vistas. Switchbacks allow

you to get the big picture. And even if you

are able to take the quick, direct trail, you

will want to rest on a switchback every once

in a whileif for no other reason than to

get your bearings on where you are in that

big picture.

Holistic DesignYou might be saying, the hiking

metaphor really sums this up nicely, but

what does that have to do with creating a

beautiful church building. Well, lets stop

for a secondon this nice switchbackand

lets answer another question or two. Say

youre in the paper stage of designing

Ekkelsia Hagia

Sophiathe Church

of Holy Wisdom

Arches supporting the dome

of Hagia Sophia symbolized

the four ends of the earth.

The design of Ste. Chapelle

used colored glass that

would refract and reflect thesymbol of God.


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a church building, what do you see? Do you see the parts of

the design processthe plans, the sections, the elevations,

the computer-generated model, the wants/needs study

matrix and the construction costs. Or do you see the whole

abstraction of the churchs ministry being expressed in

concrete ideas that you can grasp and communicate to those

who want to understand what is being done?Or, better yet, when youre in a church building looking

at the completed structure, what do you experience? Do you

concern yourself with floors separate from walls separate

from ceilings? Do doors and windows, graphics, finishes and

furnishings appear as separate bundles of information?

Do you find yourself saying, There are the classrooms,

there is the hospitality area, there is the worship space,

etc.essentially isolating the parts that make up the whole

of the facility?

Or do you interact with the whole building, so that you

are able to evaluate how floors sweep up into walls that fold

up into ceilings that protectively wrap space around a

ministry? Do you experience an interaction between the

physical form and the spiritual and philosophical drives that

molded those spaces? Do you encounter within those spaces

symbolic forms that relate to past and represent reality,

while talking to a developing future that will inherit those

spaces and make them their own? Are you engaged not just

visually or audibly, but there is an appeal to olfactory,

tactical and palatable inputand there is that delicate tug at

your soul informing you that this place truly provides an

encounter with God? Do you experience the big picture

the wholeness that in Hebrew is called Shalom?

I dont know about you, but I want to create chances for

encountering Shalom. Dealing with a set of finely-crafted

parts and pieces may result in that experience. But the

probability of creating spaces where people can ministereffectively on physical, mental and spiritual levels is greater

if we are concerned with holistic design. And holistic design

depends on answering those distracting questions we dealt

with earlierwhere, why and what.

As I look around at where we are just now, that wasnt

much of a rest stop. We covered a lot of ground there, and

we probably need to look out at the vista of architectural

examples spread out though history so we understand what

weve just trekked over.

N o w, you may not personally like these examples;

remember how we got started on this trail to begin

with? We were willing to put down prettiness

prejudices in order to focus on addressing realneeds. What Id like you to do is look at how these

three example churches actively address the

where, why, what questions in the physical forms

they take. Each one of these facilities was created to

communicate and symbolize a definite philosophy,

theology and physical reality that engaged the

individual experiencing them in a holistic sense

of Shalom.

Ekkelsia Hagia SophiaOut of the vista, lets first focus in to Istanbul,

Turkeya city formerly known as Constantinople,

capital of the Byzantine Empire. Between A . D .

532 and 573, Emperor Justinian I worked with

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Melitus to

craft the third building known as the Ekkelsia

Hagia Sophiathe Church of Holy Wisdom. T h i s

facility is hugethe main worship space is over

260-feet long by 105-feet wide. The dome that

literally hovers over the main worship area is 102

Do you experience

the big picture

the wholeness that

in Hebrew is

called Shalom?

The main purpose of Ste. Chapelle was to be

a reliquarya place to hold a physical reminder

of Jesus or one of the saints.


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November 2004 / Church & Worship Technology 43

Myler

1/2 PageSIZEPage 43RS#:

feet in diameter. When originally constructed, the facility

sat between the residence of the Patriarch of Constantinople

one of the co-leaders of the Orthodox Churchand the

imperial palace. For 900 years, until the fall of the

Byzantine Empire in A.D. 1542, the emperor and the

patriarch together directed the faithful in both Christian

worship and other ceremonies in this building styled TheGreat Church.

The form of the church was developed to instruct

the faithful, to reinforce the dynamic interaction between

the patriarch and the emperor, and to awe the populace

by equating overwhelming scale with limitless power.

As explained by Rowland J. Mainstone in his book,Hagia

Sofia: A rc h i t e c t u re, Stru c t u re and Liturgy of Justinians

Great Church: The church symbolized the world and was

at the same time the center of the earth. Since it was a

symbol of the world, the different parts of the building

symbolized different levels in the secular sphere. The lowest

part of the church symbolized the earth and the dome

heaven. The arches supporting the dome symbolized

the four ends of the earth. Structures in the form of domes

are images of Heaven, symbols of the Divine World, the

heavenly Jerusalem.

The form further instructs the faithful because it is a

segmented basilica forma person who proceeding toward

full membership of within the Church was allowed to

approach the sanctuary only so far, and then only clergy

and the emperor were allowed to go within the area aroundthe communion table/altar. This restricted access to the altar,

along with processions lead by both the emperor and the

patriarch into and out of the worship space, and liturgical

responsibilities of both personages reinforced the creative

tension between Head of State and Head of Church. This

dynamic comes truly clear in knowing that the name of the

central door (there are nine total doors) leading into the

worship space is The Imperial Gatethe emperor, the

patriarch and their attendants are the main users of this door.

F i n a l l y, in its original polychrome format, the form

overwhelms the individual experiencing the worship space

with richness of materials flowing up the walls from the

floor, up to the dome sitting on its golden chain of light.

The painted images of Christs living power as Pantocrator


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(judge of the world) supported by icons of the

saints visually reinforced the spiritual and temporal

power of patriarch and emperor, while clouds of

incense accompanying the chanted liturgy would

stimulate a sensory overload.

Capturing the sense of successfully creating a

holistic church space are the words of PrinceVladimir of Kiev, who upon experiencing worship

in the Hagia Sophia in A.D. 988, exclaimed,

Surely this must be the House of God. We know

not if we are in heaven, or on earth.2 What better

answers to where, what, why could you request?

Sainte ChapelleLets look at a second example, a little farther

on in time and space, but, strangely enough, related

to the developments within the Byzantine Empire.

In Paris, France, King Louis IX of France, known

by many as Saint Louis, worked with the architect

Pierre de Montreuil, between A.D. 1242 to 1248 to

create a jewel-box building that we know today as

Sainte Chapelle (derived from the root words for

sacred and cloakspecifically the relic of

St. Martins cloak that was preserved in a small,

purpose-built church). In comparison to Hagia

Sophia, this space is tinythe upper floor worship

space is only 32-feet wide and 99-feet long.

However, the structure of Ste. Chapelle has been

reduced to invisibility to the point that one

experiences the effect of being enclosed in a 40-

foot-tall box of colored light.

The form of this space, too, was created toemphasize the link between the secular power of

the king and the sacred power of God. Louis and

Pierre, however, designed to create a political

statement documenting the transfer of spiritual

authority from Jerusalem and Byzantium to

Paris. They additionally wished to model their

understanding of the cosmic order. How did they

accomplish all this in a miniature scale?

As originally sited, Ste. Chapelle sat within

the walls of Louiss palace; a passageway similar

to the one connecting the Byzantine emperors

palace to the Hagia Sophia was constructed

connecting Louis suite to the main, second floorworship space. The main purpose of Ste. Chapelle

was to be a reliquarya place to hold a physical

reminder of Jesus or one of the saints. The relics

Louis obtained from the Byzantine Emperor

Balwin II were first, the Crown of Thorns worn by

Jesus at the Crucifixion (purchased 1239), and

second, a section of the Cross upon which Jesus

was crucified (purchased 1241). These relics had been found by

St. Helene, mother of Emperor Constantine, in the Holy Land, in the

fourth century A.D., and had been moved to Constantinople. Louis

valued what these symbols represented highlypaying nearly

three-and-one-half times more for just the Crown of Thorns than he

spent on the entire construction of the Ste. Chapelle. In his quest for

these symbols, he sought and established recognition of Paris as

the spiritual-cum-cultural center for Western Christendom. By

extension, since Paris was to be a spiritual focal point, then the ruler

of the French was to hold an important role in Gods creation

and the physical location of interaction between God and the

King needed to reflect that interleaving of the spiritual and the

temporal worlds.This desire to create a place where the sacred and secular

intersected in the physical proximity of the royal palace lead to the

unique design of Ste. Chapelle. According to the popular theology

of the day, God was best represented by Light coming from above

hence the drive to create tall spaces with minimal interior structure,

thus allowing the openings to be filled with colored glass that would

refract and reflect the symbol of God. Ste. Chapelle is the ultimate

St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal

Church, San Francisco.


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expression of this theologythere was no church in France

constructed with a higher glass-to-structure ratio at the time.

All other interior structural elements were minimized in order to

highlight the glazing, and to allow the focal point of the Cross and

Crown to stand out in high relief.

One other note; Ste. Chapelle is actually two churches

stacked on each other; the palace staff typically worshipped in thelower church while Louis, his retainers and the clergy worshipped

in the upper church, facing the cased symbols of sacred and

secular power. Even the walls and ceilings of these stacked

churches worked universal symbols of the timethe ceilings in

both churches are painted blue to represent the heavens where

God reigns, but the stars are represented by gold fleur-de-lys, an

ancient symbol of the French royal house. The perimeter of the

upper church was originally surrounded by statues of the apostles,

who were depicted carrying cases that held the consecration

crosses for Ste. Chapelle. In essence, their continuous presence

during times when the church was occupied and when it was

unoccupied symbolized the continuous interaction and blessing of

the spiritual world within the temporal world, especially to the

person of the King.

Whether or not you agree that this is correct

t h e o l o g y, realize that this was the contemporary

understanding of how human and divine interactions

occurred. In that light, understand that St. Louis IX

desired to do nothing but what God had called him to

do, and Louis set about creating a space where he

could experience the wholeness of God. Louis soughthis answers to where, what, why and experienced

G o d s Shalom as he understood it.

St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church

Weve looked into the past for examplehow

about scanning the horizon for something thats a

little closer? San Francisco has no relationship to

Paris or Constantinople, although Herb Cain, a

deceased columnist for the San Francisco Chro n i c l e,

used to call the city Baghdad by the Bay. But,

in the southern part of this city is a congregation

that has created a facility this is literally moldedaround their vision of communicating and s

ymbolizing their definite philosophy and theology.

They have established a physical reality that

engages the individual in a holistic experience

of Shalom.

This congregation is St. Gregory of Nyssa

Episcopal Church. Their facility was constructed in

1995 under the direction of John Goldman, archi-

tect, and Reverend Donald Schell and Reverend

Richard Fabian. This facility is designed around a

l i t u rgy of dynamic movement, focusing on the

desire to become a living Friend of God, as

defined by the writings of the congregationseponymous patron.

John Goldmans own words best explain the

holistic creation of the worship spaces: The church

building form, a gabled structure joined to an

octagonal structure, comes from the creation of two

distinct but linked worship areas, each with their

own liturgical and acoustical requirements, one for

the Liturgy of the Word and one for the Liturgy of

the Eucharist.

The gabled structure, for the Liturgy of the

Word, seats 200 people on two sides, facing each

other across a central platform. The presiderss chair

is located at the north end of the platform, beneath a60-foot high bell tower, in front of a p r e e m i n e n t

focal point: a 20-foot high painted icon which depicts

the mystical marriage of Christ with the believers

soul. Bible readings in this room take place from a

lectern at the opposite, south end of the platform.

The antiphonal seating arrangement of this room

is ideal because it encourages spoken and sungThe holistic design of St. Gregory enhances and encourages

the dynamic flow of worshippers within the space.


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48

review where weve been. First, remember to define

b e a u t y d o n t carry a heavy prettiness prejudice

around, or youll never make it onto the trail; and

remember to use the four tools of right-proportion,

i n t e g r i t y, clarity and foresight to bring your definition into

objective terms. Second, remember to think holistically

address the where, why, what questions in establishing

physical forms; work to communicate and symbolize a

definite philosophy, theology and physical reality; and

engage the individual experiencing them in a holistic

sense of Shalom.

Just remember, as you grow in understanding the

creation of a beautiful church, you are learning to lead

others in their quest for understanding. Where you go,

you will eventually lead. And hopefully for all of us, the

next time we meet, our next step along this path will be

fun and exciting.v

References1. Hagia Sofia: Architecture, Structure, and Liturgy of Justinians

Great Church, Rowland J. Mainstone, www.culture.gr/2/21/215/

21505/215051/2150513/e21505119f.

2. www.emich.edu/abroad/staff/Benita/Byzantine

3. John Goldman, AIA, Goldman Architects, excerpt from presenta-

tion given to the Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art & Architecture

(IFRAA) during the AIA National Convention, San Francisco,

May 13, 1998.

Working exclusively for design/build firms since

1992, Carl Harkins currently serves as the director of

a rchitectural production for G.L. Barron Co. He holds

national certification through the National Council of

Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and maintains

active architectural licenses in 10 states, including Texas

and California. Harkins is a member of the A m e r i c a n

Institute of A rchitects (AIA), the Society of A rc h i t e c t u r a l

Historians (SAH), the Interfaith Forum on Religion, A rt

& Architecture (IFRAA) and the Order of St. Luke (OSL).

community participation and a sense of connection between

all the congregants. The shape of the room allows seating to

be angled toward the presiderss chair, where most of this

service originates. The rooms shape, volume and materials

were also designed so that the reverberation time is excellent

for speech and good for song, since the majority of the

service here consists of speech.Midway through the service, worshippers move in

a procession from this worship area to the octagonal room

for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, spiraling into place around

the wood altar table at the center of the room, below the

60-foot high, day-lit cupola. The altar table sits on an oak

floor with a maple inlaid labyrinth. Worshippers gather

round the table for communion, song and processional

dance. The centralizing form of this room is ideal for this

kind of movement and liturgical activity. The large volume

of this space, combined with the concealed acoustical

insulation, makes the reverberation time optimal for the

L i t u rgy of the Eucharist, which consists mostly of song and

chanted prayer. 3

Other features in the design of St. Gregorys that

respond to his kind of holistic thinking include a baptistery

that is on a cross-axis with the Eucharistic space, artwork

and icons that enhance and encourage the dynamic flow of

worshippers within the space, and a collection of antique

processional crosses that links this modern worship space

with its ancient liturgical roots. This church facility is indeed

a coherent design, created to address those questions of

where, what, why in an effective manner.

Are you a little bit rested now? Is your mind a little more

at ease? Do you feel you have the spiritual strength to go a

little farther along the path towards creating a beautifulchurch? You are? Good. So, lets look at the trail map to

Remember to think

holisticallyaddress

the where, why, whatquestions in establishing

physical forms.

Concept perspective of First Church of the Nazarene,

Arlington, Texas as designed by G.L. Barron Co. Inc.

Creating a Beautiful Church Building - Step 2: Think Holistically

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