Each November, the Virginia chapter of the AIA Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art and Architecture (IFRAA) sponsors a program at Architecture Exchange East in Richmond, Va., designed to present architects with a forum for the exchange of ideas relating to religion, art and architecture.The 2013 program was held on Nov. 8, and the program reportedly offered something a little different than just a look at the excellence in the design of worship spaces and their accouterments.
Event snapshot
“What we did this year was sponsor two different seminars as part of our learning track on religious architecture,” says Martha J. Chester, AIA, NCARB, president of Hughes Associates Architects & Engineers in Roanoke, Va. “The first seminar was on the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee. The second was on the Washington National Cathedral [in Washington, D.C.]”Nearly 100 architects came out to take part in one or both of the seminars, which set in motion a plan by the organization to expand the offerings in the years ahead.“This year was a primer for eventually having a symposium, which we are targeting for the spring of 2015, with the focus to look at facilities in the urban context,” says William Robson, first chairman and founder of the Virginia chapter of AIA IFRAA. “We are toying with the idea of a two-day event that will focus on what role the church plays in the city and the city plays for churches—and studying some of the different paradigms of that.” The two cathedral examples from the 2013 event have been imbedded in their cities for hundreds of years and have grown with their cities and evolved with their cities. The program provided just a snapshot of the beginning of the examination of the church in the city. According to Robson, the symposium will expand to look at churches that started in a city, moved to the suburbs, and came back to the city, as well as ministry trends.
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
For the seminar on the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, James Shields, a lead designer in Hammel, Green & Abrahamso’s (HGA’s) Milwaukee office, led the discussion that touched on the controversial church renovation.“He presented the program not only on the changes that were made but how the parishioners responded to those changes, which was very interesting,” Chester says. “Not only did he talk about the addition that has been done to the church—a prayer garden and atrium—but he also touched on the renovations and restorations added to the existing chapel. It was a fascinating seminar.”
Shields explored how since opening more than 150 years ago in Milwaukee, the Cathedral of St. John has undergone several changes and alterations, at times diminishing its architectural value. Under HGA’s design direction, the church became once again a “Jewel of the City” and a center of worship, culture, art, and beauty. The restoration also reportedly made the cathedral more accessible to the community at large. The renovation was a reportedly dramatic transformation of a traditional church form, and includes the successful placing of a contemporary sculpture in traditional worship environment.Shields explained how his firm didn’t copy the architecture of the church for the prayer garden (calling it “yesterday’s architecture”), but instead took pieces from it and blended it with a park situated across the street.“He created this nexus between the two. It was interesting to see how you can work things in accord between old and new—and create space in the city that reaches out to the city, but at the same time protects the sacredness of the space,” Chester says. “I thought it was interesting that the renovation of the Cathedral of St. John also touched on the liturgical furnishings and objects of art. A lot of time, as architects, we don’t discuss that as much as we should—how we can incorporate those and certify the theology of the church.”
Shields also presented examples of worship facility projects that presented unique challenges in urban settings.
Washington National Cathedral
James W. Shepherd, AIA, director of preservation and facilities at Washington National Cathedral, led a PowerPoint presentation detailing the site.The seminar reviewed the historical reference of the Washington National Cathedral and the influences that shaped its design. In addition, the event touched on the role that practical aspects of the building, the site, the city’s urban plan, and technical issues have played in establishing the cathedral.
“It traced the history of the cathedral woven into the history of Washington, D.C., legislatively, culturally, socially and religiously,” Robson says. “Jim talked about the recent earthquake damage and the repairs being made and tied that back into how the building [had] been constructed. Because of different technologies over the years, the earlier part of the cathedral suffered greater damage than later parts. It was a nicely done presentation.”
In closing
Both seminars showed how the cathedrals influenced their cities through their presence, spiritual guidance and mission to the community, a perfect tie-in for the future symposium about worship facilities in urban settings.Beyond the seminars, attendees also took part in a dinner the night before, when the architects were treated to a discussion that pertained to the seminar topics and also about religious architecture in general. “It’s an evening with a beautiful tapestry to it,” Chester closes. “People from different areas of the country attend and different exposures of architecture and life chime in, and it adds a great deal.”
