Something Old, Something New

By RaeAnn Slaybaugh

According to some architects, neo-Gothic construction is on the brink of making a comeback. Why does this style endure while the rest of the world moves forward?

Over the last decade, the advent of the auditorium-style, multimedia-enhanced sanctuary has been the brick-and-mortar answer to thousands of prayers. With its characteristic fan-shaped seating and enormous video projection screens, the atmosphere caters to an inclusive ministry focus. Yet in the midst of the auditorium's popularity, there remains a portion of the religious population that refuses to let classic church design fade quietly into the natural progression of things. When they hear the word "church," it conjures up images of a neo-Gothic sanctuary: soaring spires, stone arches, leaded stained glass and heavy, ornate furniture. Such devotees are the reason some architects say a neo-Gothic revival is on the horizon.

"They want glass and shadows and color and all those things that make them want to pray," explains Ethan Anthony, president of HDB Architects in Boston, Mass. "If everything is revealed and seen and there's no ambiguity, their imagination has nowhere to go." Anthony knows whereof he speaks, as demonstrated by the firm's project portfolio. HDB is a 112-year continuous practice founded by Ralph Adams Cram, who was contracted in 1907 to complete the world's largest cathedral, The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. Since that time, the firm has completed more than 1,500 projects, 50 of which are National Historic Landmark buildings. Anthony says he and his associates are currently witnessing a revived interest in Neo-Gothic design; such projects include two new churches, plus a Benedictine monastery. "I can't even tell you how great it feels," he says. "Everyone that works here is in heaven right now."

Today, neo-Gothic churches seem few and far between, so if you share this affinity for the style, is it futile to think you can satisfy it with a new build? After speaking with a number of architects, the bottom line seems to be that anything is possible--with an unlimited budget, that is. For everyone else, it becomes a precise balancing act between beauty and budget.

Where it went, why it's back

As Anthony explains, while modern architecture professors often discourage studying buildings from the past, the Neo-Gothic Movement (1890-1940) was inspired by the Gothic Revival. Like the Gothic Revival, neo-Gothic architecture is based on ecclesiastical architecture of the medieval period from 1000 AD through the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, about 1535. "Unlike the Gothic Revival, which had to be historically accurate, neo-Gothic was meant to be a living continuation of the principles of Gothic architecture adapted to today's conditions of construction and society in new and inventive ways," Anthony explains. Whereas Gothic arches, vaulting, hammer beam trusses, perlins and leaded glass were each a technical solution to a building problem of the time, the neo-Gothic architect could use these elements in a more mannerist way than the historically accurate architect. For example, Trinity English Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., uses forms like the arch and the crossing tower to mimic Gothic architecture. The roof over the tower crossing is a spire and the arches are of brick instead of stone. Yet for all its contemporary interpretations, "the purpose and structure of the composition are not lost," Anthony says. "The church [is] a container for its great organ and the shadows in the rafters communicate religious mystery and awe. The basics are there."

The neo-Gothic Movement halted, however, with the end of the Second World War. "The generation that returned to civilian life resumed interrupted educations and learned to design in International style," Anthony explains. "Having seen the world both threatened and then saved by technology, [this] generation embraced a technology-based approach to life." As such, new commissions for schools and other public buildings went to the new style of architecture.

Today, neo-Gothic churches remain a rarity in new construction because many churches are scared off by prohibitive building costs. There is some validity to this perception. As Anthony explains, if a church were to try to replicate a neo-Gothic church of the past exactly, it would be expensive--anywhere from $200 and $400 per square foot. This is because the overriding goal was to communicate majesty and inspire worship for centuries, so many neo-Gothic churches were built with no thought to cost. Looking around most major cities today, it seems that mission was accomplished, but only by using the best (i.e., often most expensive) building materials. While price is no object for some modern churches, if you have your heart set on neo-Gothic, but a $300 pair of hinges scares you off, there is good news. First, those hinges will probably only be used on the main sanctuary doors anyway. Second, technology is once again playing a role in the style's popularity--but this time, it's a supporting role, one that offers alternatives.

"For the last 50 years, industry has led the development of new techniques," Anthony explains. "Ways of extruding aluminum, new materials and so on have led architecture in many ways. But more and more as we do these churches, it is a case of demand leading the industry instead of the other way around. We will see the availability start to come back again."

In some cases, it's already started. Although the ideal choice for neo-Gothic sanctuary flooring is stone--not only for its traditional look but also its hard, reflective surface--churches can use concrete flooring for economy's sake. Poured like standard concrete, stamped concrete is created when a large, cookie cutter-like instrument imbeds a pattern in the block, often simulating bricks. However, this process tends to bevel the edges of the stones, making it uneven, Anthony warns. Plus, he points out that a good color is often hard to mix, so he recommends it for outdoor use. For interior floors, terrazzo provides the essential acoustic-friendly surface at a reasonable price.

Another trademark of neo-Gothic architecture is the use of stone window frames, but trimming stones are not easy to find today. Although Anthony says he has stumbled upon a Tennessee company that provides pre-made forms off-the-shelf, the sizes he needed at the time were not available. As such, his firm now makes its own molds.

On the roof, artificial slate is one option for churches unwilling or unable to make the investment in the long-lived, traditional choices of slate or copper. For the building's exterior, stone keeps with neo-Gothic tradition but it can be expensive, so a variety of manufactured stone finishes are available. Brick is another alternative; however, because it is labor-intensive, it is not always less expensive. Its price also depends on how far the material has to travel. For example, Canterbury Chapel, a new neo-Gothic project, chose brick produced in its hometown of Greensboro, N.C. Likewise, another neo-Gothic project, Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, Texas, found that split Texas Limestone was even less expensive than brick since production was local and large quantities were available.

The shape of things to come

Not everyone agrees that a neo-Gothic architecture revival is underway, according to Bill Mullineaux, vice president of sales and marketing for Horst Construction in Lancaster, Penn. Instead, Mullineaux says he has witnessed a movement away from this style--at least in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, where his firm does its projects. Nevertheless, he does point out that neo-Gothic elements endure, as evidenced by the consistent popularity of the cruciform-shaped church.

One thing architects can seem to agree on is that more than any other factor, liturgy determines architecture. Built of Living Stones, a 72-page guidebook approved by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops last year for new construction and renovation, was developed on this premise. "Catholics who live and worship in the United States in the twenty-first century celebrate a liturgy that is the same as that of earlier generations in all of its essentials but significantly different in its language, style and form," it states. "To be able to make specific recommendations about building and renovation projects, parish members need to understand the nature of the liturgy, the space it requires, and the ways in which the physical building can help or hinder worship." Since architects agree that neo-Gothic church design favors no particular religion, the first chapter of Built of Living Stones offers five general keys for construction and renovation:

• The church building should be designed in harmony with church laws and serves the needs of the liturgy.
• The church building should foster participation in the liturgy.
• The design of the church building should reflect the various roles of the participants.
• The church building should respect the culture of every time and place.
• The church building should be beautiful.

Even here, however, the right design should "reflect the participants' roles yet foster participation," bringing the issue of altar placement to light--in particular, moving it from its usual front-and-center position to the middle of the celebration. According to the guidebook, the altar should be centrally located and visible from all parts of the church during the Eucharist, but not so elevated that it causes visual or symbolic division from the liturgical assembly. While the document does not specify height limitations, it at least addresses the issue of separating celebrants and worshippers, criticized for dividing--not uniting--everyone in the sanctuary. For existing neo-Gothic sanctuaries, renovations that furthered the goal of inclusion brought altars closer to the people and placed them so that priests could face their congregations. It also meant removing communion railings that once separated altars from pews.

Surprisingly, central altar placement is not such a "modern" idea after all. On a trip to Europe last summer, Anthony says he toured roughly 150 churches, all of which featured this arrangement. Seeing its capacity to promote unity, Anthony decided to incorporate this central altar placement into one of his American projects. Meanwhile, another existing historic church moved its altar to the center and increased seating capacity without giving up the sanctuary's ethereal quality.

Though the idea seems to have caught on, the central altar is not flawless, however. Its most obvious drawback is less-than-great sight lines from some seats. Even so, Anthony says he has found that the overriding goal of bringing worshippers closer to the celebrants is so strong, many churches are willing to put up with this fact. "We tend to be so didactic in our approach to [altar/pulpit/lectern placement], and yes, the use of the traditional form has been rather hierarchical," he admits. "But I think that merely making a sanctuary round doesn't change that a bit. You don't achieve inclusiveness by changing the shape of the floor."

Such freedoms have not been met without resistance, however. One common criticism of a freestanding altar in the center is that the effect created is too much like a theater, explains Art Sippo, M.D., a Toledo, Ohio, physician and columnist for the St. Catherine Review, a journal of orthodox Catholic thought. In some cases, such objections to changes made in the interest of enlivening worship have led to significant uprising. One notable opponent is the Catholics for the Restoration of Sacred Space (CROSS) group, who created an Internet site--www.nationalcross.org--devoted to what they deem inappropriate renovation guidelines. Meanwhile, in Petoskey, Mich., St. Francis Xavier Church formed a Historic Preservation Guild to resist proposed renovation to their neo-Gothic church despite its being declared out-of-date by a liturgical design consultant. Renovations called for the removal of the altar rail, statues, elevated pulpit and other features of the 100-year-old building, all of which the group fought to keep. And at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., the Rev. Joe Weiss, associate director of the Center for Pastoral Liturgy, wrote the handbook, The Renovation Manipulation to challenge changes liturgists supported.

However, regardless of which "side" one takes on new construction and renovation issues--be it a variation of traditional layout or true to the past--the reverence for neoclassic spaces is reinforced. As Weiss told The Toledo Blade, since more Catholics are calling for "churches that look like churches," architects have responded by reviving the neo-Gothic style.

Signs of renewed interest are evident across denominational lines as well. While Mullineaux doesn't claim to have witnessed a "neo-Gothic revival" per se, his service as a worship leader at his church has made him privy to a few indicative cultural changes. Specifically, he says a movement among post-modern culture back to traditional forms of worship could herald a renewed interest in neo-Gothic architecture in years to come, if not today.

Anthony has also noticed this trend and cites one neo-Gothic design client, Our Lady of Walsingham, a Roman Catholic Church in Houston, Texas, that boasts a surprising number of twenty-somethings in spite of its steeped-in-tradition approach to ministry. Early in the design process, this church refused many multimedia elements, no matter how discrete, because leaders simply did not want modern technology to be a bigger part of their new chapel than absolutely necessary.

Such renewed affinity for the traditional has what Anthony calls a "flywheel" effect. "Back in the Sixties, people protested against the rigidity and formality of the church building," he explains. "I think it took the church about twenty-five years to get around to responding to it, and now they might be twenty-five years behind again."

In the end, it seems that modern auditorium style will always be right for some while neo-Gothic cathedrals are unlikely to fade away entirely, given their admirers. Suffice it to say, one does not have to build a neo-Gothic church to appreciate it, as Mullineaux demonstrates. "I look at so many of these wonderful inner-city churches that are absolutely dying right now, and if there is a significant movement that calls people back to them, that would be wonderful," he says. "Then we can start doing mission work in our cities again."

A western tower will be a key feature of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston,Texas, reminiscent of early medieval turriform churches designed as both worship spaces and defensive structures. Inside, a three-aisle nave terminates in a traditional raised chancel and high altar. Despite its classic motif, the church will be fitted with modern elements, including contemporary lighting and sound equipment, air conditioning and an elevator.

Something Borrowed

By Paolo DiVencenzo

If all the "trimmings"--statuary, fine woods, stained glass and so on--have you second-guessing your passion to build a new church with vintage appeal, salvaged architectural elements might be for you.

BUYERS USE SALVAGE primarily for aesthetic reasons; generally speaking, antique architectural elements were constructed with greater attention to aesthetics than their modern counterparts. When reproductions are available, buyers often choose salvage because there is no way to reproduce the subtle effects that time has on a piece. To match what our eyes expect to see from a given era, a piece must have lived the years between then and now.

Here's a breakdown of the architectural salvage transaction.

Step 1: A building becomes salvage. In general, architecture begins its transformation to architectural salvage when a building is slated for demolition. Buildings are demolished because they stand in the way of upcoming construction, or because they have suffered irreversible damage due to fire, natural disaster or neglect. Since churches are generally well-maintained and considered worthy of preservation, salvage often comes from those that have suffered serious damage from fire or flood.

Step 2: Salvage rights are sold. The building owner or demolition contractor may opt to sell salvage rights to the structure before it is demolished. Salvage rights are simply the right to deconstruct and haul as much or as little of the building as desired. The only obligation imposed on the salvage rights buyer is that they finish their deconstruction work by a given date.

Selling salvage rights has two benefits to the building owner or demolition contractor. Obviously, the sale is an additional source of income for the seller. Just as importantly, however, the sale presents a cost savings by "lightening the load" of the demolition contractor. The more the salvager hauls for free, the less the contractor needs to dispose of for a fee.

Step 3: Salvaging. Salvage rights are usually purchased by salvage dealers. Almost invariably, the salvage dealers insist on dismantling the salvage themselves to minimize damage to the goods they are removing.

Salvage dealers tend to specialize in particular types of salvage. The most common specialization is architectural antiques, which includes items such as antique doors, windows, stained glass and plumbing fixtures. Another common specialization is reclaimed lumber, which includes items such as wood flooring, beams and barn siding. Reclaimed lumber is often refurbished by the salvage dealer before it is resold.

Step 4: Selling salvage. Salvage dealers primarily distribute their goods through their own retail outlets. However, some distribute at the wholesale level to various salvage retailers. Salvage buyers include remodelers, restoration contractors, do-it-yourselfers, designers and architects.

Paolo DiVincenzo represents Salvage Web (www.salvageweb.com), a marketplace where salvage rights are placed up for bid to a wide range of potential buyers. At press time, the Web site featured architectural elements for sale pending the demolition of a 1920s Catholic church in northwest Ohio, including plaster angels, chandeliers, wood cabinets, ballistrades and a pipe organ, among other items. For more information on the vintage pieces available, you can also visit http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/DownsizeDr/counwde/Churchitemsforsale.html.