As I walk down the aisle of the hundred-year-old chapel, I marvel at the architecture. At the front of the sanctuary, three burgundy carpeted stairs lead up to an altar. Directly behind the altar is a large window, allowing the sun to shine through and warm the entire room. There are seats for the choir members against each wall, fitting around forty voices, all with a different range. There is a podium facing the pews where the pastor usually situates himself. The bright, white walls have a carving that lines the entirety of the sanctuary. Old fashioned chimes fill up the majority of the wall space. The ceilings are high, creating the illusion that it extends to Heaven. There is a door on each side leading to an unknown space. The palette of the interior is neutral, consisting only of maroon, brown, and a worn-down shade of white. Weddings, church services, convocations, and many more events happen here. The chapel is known as one of the “must-see” places while visiting Berry’s campus. The detailed architecture of the Mount Berry Chapel creates a warming welcome to all who enter through its simplicity and well-kept design. …show more content…
The modesty walls have a rectangular pattern on them, ending each section with an extended piece with an oddly shaped knob resting at the top. There is evidence of wear from the strands on the burgundy colored carpet. The altar rests on a rustic, wooden platform that is lined in the same cream shade as the walls. The podium is jaded, exposing multiple paint chips and scrapes. Through one of the openings in which choir members walk through, a chestnut toned piano becomes visible. The large, decorated altar is positioned in the center of the sanctuary, drawing visitors’
The sanctuary was bare, and the pews hard. I mentally tallied a comparison between my own church's sanctuary and this. The two, I found, were similarly austere, but with theirs tending toward items of religious kitsch and our own tending instead towards polished brass. Both lacked stained glass in the windows. I suspected, however, that where our sanctuary was plain in token tribute to the long-dead strict streak of our Calvinist tradition, theirs was bare because it could not economically be otherwise. And the lack of air conditioning ! Memphis' summer heat is unbearable and pervasive, and a roof overhead does nothing against the big blanket of humid air.
It takes place at the back of the church as it signifies a journey in
Weisse, Daniel H. “Architectural symbolism and the decoration of the Ste.-Chapelle.” The Art Bulletin 77.2 (1995):308. Academic OneFile.
...entrance door and archway, that had and overwhelming impact on me, these over exaggerated entrance doors, were built to awe and act as the gateway to salvation, they succeeded. Upon entering the church, the saints were lined up and down either side of the church and were lustrously painted and adorned, the cathedral with its stained glass also elumeminated the church with bright sunlight that gave the church a peaceful and serene atmosphere. While viewing the church from the outside, you tend to fixate on the towers, and you tend to divert your view skyway. The massive Gothic church, really humbles you, the enormity and size are truly overwhelming. The ornamental gargoyle sculptures placed around and throughout the rooftops of the church, really feel as if they were alive and guarding the church.
Weisse, Daniel H. “Architectural symbolism and the decoration of the Ste.-Chapelle.” The Art Bulletin 77.2 (1995):308. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
...ic lighting thanks to intricate stained glass windows. These glorious structures built by some of the humblest of men have offered a vestige of the divine for people in the past and the present and will carry on into the future.
The church's architecture over all is simple. It is 24 by 34 square feet and set on a stone wall. It is a frontier style cabin and is made from hand hewn logs, which are notched at each end so that they fit together snugly at the corners. The roof is shingled...
On Easter Sunday, a dozen adults and half that many children gathered at the Perry City Friends Meeting an hour before their usual worship time. They came, bringing plates of food for a time of fellowship before worship. The children had an Easter egg hunt, while the adults visited over coffee and snacks. After a while, the group moved to the meeting room for a time of singing. The meeting room, a plain room with a stage at one end and a few small tables holding brochures along the wall, has simple benches arranged in a circle around a central space. Someone had put a small table with a vase of fresh picked daffodils in the middle. Music is not a part of the worship at this meeting which is unprogrammed, so this time of singing together was special for the Easter holiday. One person played the piano, while people looked through the hymnal for their favorite hymns. Anyone was free to suggest a hymn, as no one is in charge of planning a worship service. When worship time approached, the hymnals were gathered up and put away, and one adult led the children downstairs for First Day School. Without announcement, everyone lapsed into silence. The silence at Meeting for Worship is not a passive silence; it is the deep, comfortable silence of people accustomed to joining together this way. It was not broken when a few more people entered the sanctuary to join the group. The silence continued for about an hour with each worshiper communing with the Holy Spirit in his or her own way, not interrupted when the children reentered to join in the silent worship. One man broke the silence to say a few words about the simplicity of Jesus’ teachings, and then the silence returned. At the end of the hour, without announcement, one woman turned to gr...
For my field experience activity I choose to go and visit the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Cumming, Georgia. I choose this particular location because not only did it represent a religious sector that I was very uninformed of, but this specific building is one that has been there for almost 15 years now and I would say I have driven by it without paying it any mind just about 5-6 times a week for several years. The Kingdom Hall is made entirely out of red brick. The Kingdom Hall building is a simple setup. They have a general meeting area with about 150 seats inside and a podium for speaking purposes. They have a couple of additional rooms for storage purposes and multipurpose areas like a kitchen and other open areas for different things.
After walking inside and trying to first experience, the church, and all its beauty and ornateness, I began examining the floor plan and elevations of the cathedral. Grace Cathedral was build in a gothic style, which it represents in its architecture inside and out. There were three huge rose windows. One at the very top of the main entrance and one on either end of the transept. There wer...
With the Pantheon being built over 1700 years ago, it’s amazing that architects are still using features and techniques from this work of architecture in modern creations. The use of this type of classical architecture will continue to be used in works for public space due to its remarkable exterior appearance and it’s long lasting structural durability. When both Jesse hall and the Pantheon are compared it is possible to see their similarities from the types of domes that top each, their external facades, and their interior plan. While they share many similarities, the differences that Bell and Binder used in their creation make this work of architecture unique to many other public spaces.
This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also...
Matisse’s design takes a new turn into the modern technique, with clean lines and new influence of nature. A tall structure decorated with crescent moons that simultaneously resembles a steeple and a bell tower greets the visiting pilgrim from afar beckoning through sight and sound. Upon approach, the cross at the top of this extremity indicates the building’s religious affiliation. The interior of the chapel is not particularly ornate nor very large, but the white stone walls create an enormous sense of space. The chapel is L-shaped and the altar is placed at an angle where the two portions of the structure meet. This minimalist aesthetic in which the design is reduced to the necessary elements creates an impression of extreme simplicity by enlisting every feature to serve multiple functional and visual purposes, such as the windows that provide light and color to the chapel.
Standing on the balcony, I gazed at the darkened and starry sky above. Silence surrounded me as I took a glimpse at the deserted park before me. Memories bombarded my mind. As a young girl, the park was my favourite place to go. One cold winter’s night just like tonight as I looked upon the dark sky, I had decided to go for a walk. Wrapped up in my elegant scarlet red winter coat with gleaming black buttons descending down the front keeping away the winter chill. Wearing thick leggings as black as coal, leather boots lined with fur which kept my feet cozy.
Degregori, Thomas R. “The Sistine Chapel ceiling: Is restoration a good idea?” ProQuest Newsstand. 30 Nov. 1986 Houston Chronicle Publishing Company Division. 31 May 2012 http://search.proquest.com.proxy.itt-tech.edu/docview/295271493?accountid=27655