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Hypothetical Chicago Church

The clever kids over at Notre-Dame have struck again. Matthew Alderman (of Whapping fame) has published his hypothetical proposal for a church online and we thought we’d offer our most humble thoughts and comments upon the design. The Université de Nôtre-Dame du Lac over in South Bend, Indiana has arguably the best school of architecture in the country, if not all the Americas. Taking into account the state of most architecture schools these days, that isn’t saying much, but the School excels at teaching within the Western tradition of building, rather than inculcating the bland and soulless rejection of tradition which is modern architectural theory. You can see examples of the students’ works online at the School’s Student Gallery. (Of the rest, we found Lucas Hafeli’s art-nouveau mini-flatiron intriguing, as well as Erin Dwyer’s ferry terminal, and particularly enjoyed Brad Houston’s splendid arena).

Alderman’s proposal is for a church of the Anglican Use of the Catholic Church, which is a special dispensation (limited to the United States) for former Episcopalians to use a modified form of the Anglican liturgy to preserve their particularly rich liturgical tradition while becoming Latin-rite Catholics in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. Owing to the English heritage of the Anglican Use, most new church buildings of this unique part of the Catholic Church have been designed within the English gothic tradition (c.f. Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of the Atonement). Instead of this, Alderman interestingly proposes a church more firmly is would be much more at home in a continental capital than on a Norfolk plain.

The plan is a Latin cross with the Sanctuary and Choir placed in the topmost (or liturgical east) arm. A school sizeable enough to serve Kindergarten through 8th grade is also on the site, with a parish hall, library, cafeteria, underground gymnasium, and rooftop playground. All these elements are economically fitted into the site with room for two courtyards and a rectory as well.

The dome immediately brings to mind Adam’s original design for the Charlotte Square Church (St. George’s) in Edinburgh with an additional fleche akin to Sts. Peter and Paul Church in St Petersburg. There’s also just a slight touch of Lutyens’ spirit to the massing.

Inside we have a rood separating the Choir and Sanctuary from the crossing/nave. The rounded apse hosts the tabernacle and the suitably tall and august High Altar with a representation of the patroness of the church, Our Lady, Queen of the English Martyrs. Ah, but about that representation…

A bit too saucy for my taste. I think something less tall and elongated and, call me a bore, but I prefer the traditional Marian blue.

No complaints about the baptistery though.

How does the proposal rate overall? Highly, in my opinion. It is beautiful, functional, impressive, and above all Catholic. But does it succeed in the architect’s aim of creating a church in a distinct English baroque? Doubtful, beautiful though it is. I’m not sure if a genuinely English baroque is possible, but then I’m ardently in the Cram/Goodhue/Ferguson faction for modern Gothic. At the very least, however, the proposal is an immense improvement on the shoddy church building (seen below) currently on the Chicago site. For the full run-down, check out the design as Matt presented it visually and verbally.

Published at 7:27 pm on Wednesday 21 December 2005. Categories: Architecture Church Tags: , , , , .
Comments

Its nice for once to see a baroque design for an Anglican Use church. I know from the views of the English Ordinarate that most prefer the classical and the Tridentine ceremonial, as shown in the brilliant work of Martin Travers in many Anglican Churches.
However I understand that the views of American former Episcopalians is more in favour of gothic and Sarum style ceremonial.
The design and all of Mr. Alderman’s are stunning and are a great inspiration to an aspiring architecture student in an artistic society which is hostile to Classicism and Traditionalism.

— Connor McNeill 12 Aug 2013 9:18 pm
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