Focus on Faith NEW SANCTUARY

from Atlanta Intown - March 2015

by Rough Draft Atlanta: Atlanta Intown, Reporter Newspapers

Parting Shots

ChristChurch Presbyterian relocates to Peachtree Street

The congregation of ChristChurch Presbyterian has oﬃcially moved into a dramatic new sanctuary at 1740 Peachtree St. in Midtown.

Unlike a traditional Southern or Gothic worship facility, the new church features a modern design that incorporated much of the site’s existing building. The church was built and designed by New York-based Gertler &Wente Architects in partnership with Atlantabased Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates and Van Winkle Construction of Atlanta.

“Our congregation is committed to serving both our neighborhood and the city through welcome, outreach and worship,” said senior pastor Rev. Dr. Paul Gardner. “We outgrew our former facility and needed a larger space where we could worship and meet together, invite people to join us and provide gathering spaces for youth, classes, meals, counseling and ministry work.”

Five years ago, the congregation purchased a threestory oﬃce building at the corner of Peachtree and 25th Streets, just a few blocks from their former location, and began the process of clarifying what they wanted to do with the site. Church members agreed they wanted to incorporate as much of the existing building as possible into a new facility, rather than destroy it.

Gertler & Wente had received acclaim for their innovative repurposing a 1913 parking garage in Manhattan into a new home for Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and ChristChurch oﬃcials believed the firm could bring a similar vision to the Peachtree site. Similarly, TSW had won a national award for the design of a new contemporary worship facility for Woodstock Community Church.

“In our early meetings with church leaders, they stressed their desire for a visible, environmentallyfriendly church building that invites people in and serves the community in ways beyond traditional worship,” said Larry J. Wente, founding partner of Gertler & Wente. “They wanted the structure to make a strong architectural statement and reflect the forward-thinking, modern dynamic of Midtown. At the same time, we all agreed that using as much of the existing building as was feasible would be good for the environment and costeffective for the church.”

The two architecture firms collaborated on a design that expanded the existing building on its south side and elevated the roof and windows above a 925-seat sanctuary with a cross formed from narrow windows on the north-facing wall. Seating inside the sanctuary is accomplished through stackable chairs, rather than permanent pews, making the room flexible for other uses apart from worship services. The Peachtree Street side of the building features a subtle tower with three crosses facing north, south and east. An inviting courtyard transitions visitors from the busy city streetscape to the more contemplative areas of the building.

“As New Urbanists, we like to push buildings out to the sidewalk to encourage interaction and pedestrian traﬃc – goals shared by ChristChurch,” said Jerry Spangler, AIA, LEED AP, and founding principal of TSW. “The new church features a coffee shop facing Peachtree Street and an art gallery on the building’s south side. The contextual modern design helps the structure blend in with its neighbors, and we used steel and glass in the construction as well as more traditional church building materials like brick and stone. The exterior is clad in a large-scale porcelain panel along with the brick, glass and steel. Passers-by know it’s a church, but they might have to take a second look to be sure.”

For more about ChristChurch, visit christchurchatlanta.org.