www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Modern church design versus traditional church design

This is something that has been in my mind for a bit and came up in the pictures Forum just recently. It is not a pet peeve of mine or anything. I was just wondering what others thought and knew about the topic.

Why are "newer" churches not built in the "traditional" style? By that I mean a rectangle with the altar at the far end, facing the correct compass direction of course, with a fairly tall ceiling or dome over the altar and stained glass windows on the sides? I understand heating/cooling bills would mean the lower the ceiling, the lower the bills. But surely, with modern products (heat pumps, etc.) a good architect can achieve a balance of traditional versus modern.

I personally can't stand the churches that resemble a courtroom, more than a church. This is mostly an RC type of construction, at least in my experience. I haven't seen an Eastern church built to that degree. Some have been more "in the round" than a traditional approach. But they weren't "in the round" to such a degree that it looked like a courtroom. There is one RC church in my town that resembles an elementary school gymnasium/cafeteria or all purpose room. I particularly feel uncomfortable there. The chairs are connected at the sides of the seat and can be removed completely from the sanctuary. Which only adds to the feeling of a school multi-purpose room.

What are your thoughts? Any opinions? Any answers to the ceiling question?
I love big domes above the altar with a nice, big painting of Christ the Pantocrator looking down on me. It takes my breath away.

Tim

Dear Tim,

This has been expressed in different threads many times (atleast by me!)

I totally agree with you. It is hard to feel the presence of God in architecture that does not make you feel as if you are in a special, holy space.

I pray that in the next few decades all of the ugly suburban modern RC churches will be demolished and replaced with the beauty (Gothic, Romanesque, statuary, real votive candles, etc.) that once characterized that faith tradition and set it apart from American Protestant denominations rather than mimicked them.

In Christ,
Alice

Someone was sharing at Bible Study the other day about her nine year old niece, they are Roman Catholic. They were visiting her family and took her to a very modern RC Church, the child was totally disinterested, paid no attention to anything, and made noise the whole time. The next week, they took her to traditional RC Church with the very old architecture, statues, and windows in it. Their niece sat still the whole time, paid attention to everything, and talked about it for days.

Think that speaks LOUDLY about the difference in architecture.

I always say "Which church would you rather be married in? Then, why would you want less for the Marriage Feast of the Lamb?"

Would you rather be married here?
[Linked Image]

Or here?
[Linked Image]

Both of these churches are within an hour from my house. The ugly modernist one was just built. The website reads that there are liturgical dancers! The other one is Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in West County St. Louis.

I'm sorry, but it's like comparing apples and oranges, they're both fruit but of a different tree. You cannot compare a Greek Orthodox Church to a Roman Catholic Church. They liturgical styles and theologies are different and cannot be compared to each other for preferred space.

I think for a newly built church, they kept some very traditional elements and is much more tasteful than some other churches I have visited. It's much better than the church of a priest friend of mine in Grove City, PA. For those who are unfamiliar with Grove City, it's very Reformed Protestantism. Beloved Disciple Church looks like a typical Assembly of God church from the outside and when you get inside, although it has some nice qualities, it is a very odd church. The tabernacle is off to the left side of the nave in a weird little "room." Nothing in the sanctuary is centered...liturgically it drives me crazy! Here's a link, there are no good pictures on the site. http://www.beloved-disciple.com/

Fine, how about this one instead of the Greek Orthodox Church?

[Linked Image]

St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis.

BREATHTAKING!!!!

Now THAT is a church!!!

Absolutely! Good point, Pani Rose....

Hi Tim:

The church you are describing may well be a multi purpose set up. Here in the south there are parishes that take this route due to the lack of funds to build both a parish hall and a church. My family and I used to attend St. Luke the Evangelist RC church here in Raleigh and that is what was done at that church until we had the funds to build a proper church and parish hall. My wife can remember when she was a little girl attending Our Lady of Lourdes here in Raleigh with her family and going to Mass in the school gymnasium. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do if the money isn't there.

I changed rite and at my parish we have Divine Liturgy at a RC school in their chapel that is essentially a room that has been converted. That being said our Divine Liturgy is still a glorious experience. Perhaps one day when we have enough money and are no longer a mission we will have a proper church.

I will agree with you that there are churches that will leave you disappointed but try to remember why you are there and what is happening.

There is nothing that can compare to an old church built in the old Gothic or Byzantine style but it costs mucho dinero these days to do that and a parish might not be able to afford it.

In Christ:
Einar

The picture doesn't do it justice at all. I went to my first "traditionalist" Latin Mass* a couple of weeks ago. The whole experience knocked my socks off.

*My first Latin Mass was in a stripped down, but still beautiful church where my wife and I were married. The priest is the only one who was still allowed to use the 1962 Missal before the issuing of Summorum Pontificum in my diocese.

Michael Rose wrote the book called "Ugly As Sin: Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to Meeting Spaces and How We Can Change Them Back Again".

I strongly recommend it for anyone intersted in this particular subject.

Monomakh

Dr. Eric,

If you're from The Most Corrupt State, by which I suppose you mean Illinois (LOL - sorry guys!), and you're in the Chicagoland area, you might consider visiting the St. John Cantius, which offers both the traditional Mass and the Novus Ordo in great solemnity and in harmony with the spiritual heritage of the Roman Church.

Oh, by the way..."Church of the Beloved Disciple" is somewhat of a strange name for a Catholic parish. Coming from a Protestant background, it's always sort of irked me to refer to the Holy Apostles as "disciples;" I believe that it is oftentimes implicitly a rejection of calling them "apostles."

Alexis

It looks like a mall.

I'm much farther south. For traditional churches it's either Belleville, IL or St. Louis, MO. I try to avoid Chicago as much as possible. Although I did attend a seminar near Midway this weekend.

I love Chicago...


Alexis