This Church Caused My Bloggers' Block

When I can get 3 or 4 coherent sentences together, I've got a blog post. There's no shortage of ideas, inspiration, motivation, it's the coherence, the focus that troubles me. I lost it "Sunday week."

I was rocking The Phoenix Flies for 2012, gathering enough pictures for a month of posts.


Things were going well. We'd finished 2/3's of the Downtown Progressive Organ Recital. I was surprised and delighted to find a John August Swanson exhibit at Central Presbyterian. Imagine that: un-ironic, contemporary religious art. Let's hope Earl Scruggs is enjoying this band right now.


Yes, things were going quite well. We were headed to a place I'd never been, Trinity Methodist (W. T. Downing 1911), the third capitol church. It's the one kitty-cornered towards the southwest from the Georgia's state capital building.


Old and new City Hall to the north, traffic court to the west, expressway gulch to the south, it's a serious sight. It doesn't seem very big in all that space.


We were about to hear Trinity's great theater organ, the refurbished 100 year old Austin.


We anticipated the organ and those giant stained glass windows.


This is where I lost it. Churches impress, Trinity was no exception. It's brick, minimal, with a greenish-yellow light. There was a smell of age. I don't think it was love at first sight.

This is where my brain has been stuck for 10 days, not in a bad way, not in a good way, just stuck.


This is the east window, it's big but my impression was slender, vertical, yellow/green, the motif - slender lampposts.


The north and south window elements are wider.


The symbolic elements are compact and elevated. I couldn't take them all in. Has anyone photographed them for the record?


The pipes blend with the brick rather than "pop" with a bright shiny finish. It's line and texture in monochrome, windows too. The old woodwork is what "pops." The pews are 1856, from the old church that burned. Sherman slept his troops on these pews.


Organist Bruce Wynn told is a bit about the church and organ.

You can see some of the brick and wood details.

The brick tricked me: my brain felt more outside than inside.


The view from the chancel. The choir loft is small, Bruce said it was intended for 2 quartets.


Theater organs are voiced differently than church organs, it was certainly different to my ears. We were happy to hear Bruce demonstrate.


We walked inside the wind box / air box / air chest. When Bruce turned on the air, the box went air tight and you couldn't open the door.

It is a 100 year-old example of handmade functional woodworking. It's not furniture but it is beautiful.


There is a bit of fresh wiring.


"Austin developed the Universal Air Chest System" "During the second world war the company contributed gliders to the war effort."

That wasn't all.


The pipe room extends behind the sanctuary into this room where Bruce can play from a second console.


This hexagonal, balconied room is a tiny Victorian chapel surrounded by a kitchen and Sunday school rooms. It took my be surprise.

I'll let it go there. I hope this cures my bloggers' block. I may have to return to the scene.

Thanks to the Atlanta Preservation Center and to the Atlanta Chapter — American Guild of Organists.

1st Stop: Ahavath Achim Synagogue APC Sacred Spaces Tour

Finally. After driving by for nearly 40 years, I got to see it. I was there for 2 1/2 hours. Though modern and minimal, I couldn't take it all in. I can only give you hints.

The Atlanta Preservation Center's first "Sacred Spaces" tour started last night with Ahavath Achim Synagogue. There are more events Saturday and Sunday that cover the spectrum. It's easy and free. You need to R.S.V.P for a few of them.

Andre Steiner designed Ahavath Achim Synagogue which was completed in 1958. Druid Hills folks know Andre Steiner from Briar Park Court. Perli Pelzig designed the stained glass windows and more, that's another story.


These are the chapel windows.


The whole composition.


The chapel windows from inside.



This is the view from the west parking lot. The small box is the chapel, the big box is the 2,500 seat sanctuary.


The entrance to the chapel is straight ahead.


We gathered in the lobby. Brandy Morrison who put the APC Sacred Spaces together and Tom Little, a leader of DOCOMOMO Georgia introduced the tour. Tom is the tall guy with glasses on the left.


Historian and author Doris Goldstein gave us a little history and a tour of their beautiful museum.


The sanctuary seats 2,500 and has room for 3,500 in a pinch. Big, warm, not intimidating, it's minimal with plenty to see.


The windows are more folky than abstract and are loaded with symbolism. Each of the 28 windows in the sanctuary deserves a long look.


Rabbi Neil Sandler made us feel at home as he introduced us to the congregation and symbolism.


Architect, Stanley Daniels told us more about the structure. In 1958 the style for churches/synagogues was "awesome" (I'm using my own terms here). These days the style is "intimate." Mr. Daniels discussed how they might make this room a bit more intimate.

However that turns out, I'm happy to see the awesome.


Then the unexpected highlight: They opened the Aron Kodesh.


It took a few folks to find the latch.


These handmade objects broadcast life into the rather severe room. I was moved.


All eyes to the front.


We ended the evening with a film about Andre Steiner, "Andre's Lives." Here is Andrew Kohr introducing the film. That's another extraordinary story.


After 2+ hours I was satisfied, exhausted, overwhelmed and grateful. I hope to return.

Thanks to the Atlanta Preservation Center and to Ahavath Achim for this architecture tourist opportunity.

Phoenix Flies Recap #6 - First Church of Christ, Scientist, Atlanta

On March 8, we toured the First Church of Christ, Scientist (1914 by Arthur Neal Robinson) during the Atlanta Preservation Center's Phoenix Flies tour for 2011.


I met Travis Taylor there. His valuable new blog, tourAtlanta, is setting a high standard for exploring Atlanta (Travis has a great skill for writing). His post: "First Church of Christ, Scientist: Divine Architecture" is by far best thing on the web about the Church's buildings.



There isn't a more prominent, high-styled building on Peachtree. It's a kitty-cornered terminal vista just north of Colony Square, across the street from the High Museum at the grandest entrance to Ansley Park.



Seeing it once wasn't enough. I planned a second visit but my schedule took a bad twist.


I don't think there is any view in Atlanta that compares with the view from the portico. (Why didn't I take more pictures.)

The view from the narthex looking south through the open doors is spectacular. I urge you to climb those stairs next time you are at Colony Square, Symphony Hall, the High Museum, or Museum of Design Atlanta. The porch is a special place, designed to inspire humans.

Who doesn't want to see inside? I regret that I can't show you, but Travis gives us a great picture in words.

From the outside, it's rather intimating: monumental, elevated, formal, symmetric, cool, looking ancient, yet pristine. The inside matches the outside in that sense. It's spectacular yet a bit reserved.

I found something uncanny about the soaring symmetric interiors. The Church calls it the "auditorium" rather than the "sanctuary." They don't hold weddings or funerals here, the space isn't really fitted for either. So it's a bit unfamiliar to those expecting a typical church interior. But there is no mistaking: You'll know it's a church.

It's always reminded me of one of my favorites, Druid Hills Baptist Church, one of nearly 2 dozen churches on Ponce de Leon. Edward Emmett Dougherty designed Druid Hills Baptist.

It's a Beaux Arts look.


See what I mean? Top: Druid Hill Baptist Church, bottom: First Church of Christ, Scientist.

Top: Druid Hill Baptist Church, bottom: First Church of Christ, Scientist.

Read Travis's post: "First Church of Christ, Scientist: Divine Architecture"