Today I am featuring another Frank Lloyd Wright design, the First Christian Church in north central Phoenix. This church was built in 1973 using plans created by Wright for the Southwest Christian Seminary, an organization that ceased operating before the plans could be used. Administrators of the First Christian Church knew of the plans and asked Wright’s widow for permission to use them. Permission was granted and this lovely church building was built to the accolades of the Church Architects Guild of America calling it one of the 10 best church buildings in America.
The walls of the church are made of native stone set in coarse concrete. Supporting the building are 23 triangular pillars designed to represent desert trees. There is a 77-foot, three sided spire rising up from the center of the roof and mirrored by the 120-foot free standing bell tower located a little way from the building.
You can read more about this beautiful church here.
Great post today, Sharon.
ReplyDeleteThe roof line certainly looks like a Wright design. It reminds me a little of the Marin County Government Center building just north of San Francisco, designed by Wright.
I think that a shopping center developer in north Scottsdale has taken the same design of the tower at thechurch you showed today and built another tower just like it in front of the shopping center. I wonder how Wright would have felt about that.
WOW! I might actually be inspired to attend church in a building like that! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave you been inside? Wonder what it looks like on the interior.
Laurie, I haven't been inside, but I did peek through the windows and from the little I could see, I saw pews that were sort of angled toward the one corner where the service would take place. I did not, however pick up on the supports that were supposed to look like trees. I'll have to go back and check it out.
ReplyDeleteGood old FLW. I don't think I've seen this church before and I sort of pay attention to his buildings.
ReplyDeleteLaurie has at least one of his houses not too far away (in Pasadena at least). Close to the Gamble House.
I haven't seen it but if somebody wanted to amble (amble, Gamble, how do I do it?) over and a take a photo............
Lovely church building. FLW designed a lot of beautiful things.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a FLW design! You can see the kinship to the Marin County Civic Center in it.
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful design! I'm not crazy about all of Wright's work, but I really do like this church.
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