Special Edition: Places of Worship Vol. 2

Author

Kevin Block

Affiliation

Partners for Sacred Places

Tags

Newsletter, Special Edition, Places of Worship
Image details

Special Edition: Places of Worship Vol. 2

St. Paul Luthern Church, Victor Alfred Lundy, 1959; Sarasota, Florida.

Credit

G.E. Kidder Smith Image Collection (c) Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Hello again, readers! 


Special Edition Vol. 2 of Docomomo US’s 2025 Annual Theme on “Places of Worship” focuses on the adaptive reuse of Modernist sacred places. As the issue’s guest editor, Partners for Sacred Places approaches the topic of adaptive reuse from a “both-and” perspective. On the one hand, we remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting active congregations steward their property and serve their communities. On the other hand, we recognize that transitions to new uses are sometimes necessary. At its best, adaptive reuse can, in fact, preserve historically significant religious buildings and the underlying community-serving mission of religious property. Our interest in graceful transitions for congregations and civic-minded reuse of buildings is precisely why Partners published the Transitioning Older Sacred Places guide and continues to celebrate design professionals at the cutting edge of adaptive reuse through our Faith & Form Awards Program for Religious Architecture and Art. The following articles attempt to illustrate the promise and wide range of adaptive reuse projects across the country that are helping to revitalize our Modernist sacred places. 


Thank you to all of the authors who responded to Docomomo US’s call for articles and for those authors whose work we are proud to publish. Partners appreciates your commitment to completing the editorial process. We thank the staff of Docomomo US for allowing Partners to serve as guest editor. Liz Waytkus, Kimberly Phillips, and Michele Racioppi have been wonderful collaborators, and we look forward to working with Docomomo US again in the future. Special thanks to Kim for helping with editing, website layout, and social media. The Docomomo US chapter leaders also deserve a shout out for hosting tours and making this year’s theme come alive in their own backyards. Lastly, in addition to Bob Jaeger, who introduced Special Edition: Places of Worship Vol.1 and helped with editing, three other colleagues at Partners contributed to the success of this project and deserve recognition: Gianfranco Grande, Rochelle Stackhouse, and Kathryn Ford.  

 

Kevin Block

Director of Special Initiatives

Partners for Sacred Places

To learn more about Partners and our work, visit www.sacredplaces.org.

North Christian Church, Columbus Indiana

Theodore Prudon and Dorit Zemer describe the former North Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, which is now part of the Bartholomew County Public Library system. As the article details, many organizations, conservators, and design and building professionals have supported the preservation of this iconic Eero Saarinen building, including a contribution from Partners through a 2016 grant from the National Fund for Sacred Places.

Crosses of Chicago

Kim Lovely, a planner and graphic designer, travels back to the South Side of Chicago, where a photo essay documents how predominantly Black congregations sanctify their non-purpose-built spaces, as well as how some of these storefront churches have adapted over time as worship patterns and their surrounding neighborhoods change.

Between Elastic Modernism and Iconic Simplicity

Andrew Liles of AM Liles Architect explores the concept of “architectural elasticity” via a comparison of two Mainline Protestant churches near the campus of Tulane University. Liles is especially interested in how different liturgical patterns and flexible building systems from the postwar period have contributed to the reinvention of these campus ministries in the post-COVID era.  

Restoring Mendelsohn, Building Community: The Adaptive Reuse of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights

Gianfranco Grande and I share an interview with Naomi Sabel, a developer, and Eric Zamft, a planner, about the redevelopment of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Park Synagogue, designed by Erich Mendelsohn, is one of the most influential Modernist synagogues in America. Now, however, Mendelsohn’s towering dome is the centerpiece of Park Arts, a bold new scheme that includes housing and a satellite campus for Oberlin College and Conservatory.

From Sacred Space to Therapeutic Sanctuary: The Norwegian Seamen’s Church Finds New Purpose as Spyre Center

Lastly, Megan Bell and Lindsay Butler of Bell Butler Design & Architecture take readers to the Spyre Center, a holistic wellness center in a former Norwegian Seaman’s Church. A successful historic tax credit project, the transformation of this space suggests not only what is possible in purpose-built religious structures, but also how the meaning of sanctuary and spirituality may be changing in relation to new lifestyles and forms of community.  

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