YUNYUE CHEN PLACES OF GOD
Introduction On the island of Manhattan, the majority of churches conform to the 1811 Commissioner’s grid plan. With land being so precious, they often have a much more intimate, sometimes unusual relationship with their neighbours. Open space around a church - a norm in other cities - becomes a rarity in Manhattan. Sometimes proximity the streetscape creates a strange sequence of entering the building. In a way, many buildings are being engulfed into the fastgrowing urban fabric. Yet, as religious buildings, their timelessness demands to be noticed. This project aims to document New York’s places of worship in their ever-changing context, and to present the unique experience of religion in a metropolis. From the southern tip of the island all the way to Upper Manhattan, religious communities have left their marks on the map. The places that survive the test of time tell stories about generations of people. The project covers religious buildings dating from 1690s to 1960s. Some are monumental, others humble, some barely noticeable by passersby. By closely looking at these buildings in their immediate context, one can understand to some extent the experience of users. In the dense urban jungle of the city, those churches, temples and synagogues are strange animals. Limited height, solid materials and elaborate forms reveal century old traditions. Meanwhile, elements such as columns, pediments, domes, towers, carvings, details silently explain to beholders that architecture truly is frozen music. New York is not Rome, where the churches determine the hierarchical order of an area. Here on the small island, churches rarely have their own breathing space. People walk along the street, then simply step into the church. For most of the time, churches are no different than other buildings - pushed all the way towards the street, with cars and pedestrians constantly moving past, uninterrupted by the solemn presence of a religious building. In New York, churches morph with the city. If lucky, the church holds a position proudly at the intersection, thus it can be seen from a little bit of distance. But for most of the time, it is in the middle of the block, squeezed tightly between two neighbours. On the dense island of Manhattan with numerous glass towers, places of god take on a new layer of influence by modern buildings. Beautiful shadows and reflections are cast onto the solid canvas of stone, and change ever so poetically during the day. Perhaps this phenomenon can be loosely interpreted as the experience of religion in metropolis - solid and light, static and dynamic all at the same time. Yunyue Chen March 2017
Cover A steel cross made from fragments of the World Trade Centre stands a block north of the former World Trade Centre site, outside St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church.
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Second Church of Christ, Scientist seen from edge of Central Park. The Beaux-Arts building was constructed from 1899 to 1901, and is located at Central Park West and West 68th St. Its copper-clad green dome rises above the gentle hill in Central Park, looking after both children and adults in the playground.
The Congregation Shearith Israel – often called The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue – is the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. It was established in 1654 and until 1825 was the only Jewish congregation in New York City. The building was built between 1896 and 1897, and it is the newest building of this old congregation. It drew inspiration from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, making its design a stark contrast from American Synagogue architecture of its time. Here, the peaceful foreground of Central Park offers to tell the community’s long history in this country.
Church of the Guardian Angel Roman Catholic on 10th Ave is an Italian Romanesque style building from 1930. It is the only church in New York that is directly adjacent to the Highline.
The Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1793-1806) was originally James Watson House. Located on State Street, it is only remaining mansion of that era. Now the mansion functions as a Roman Catholic church. It is among the first buildings that people see while arriving by Staten Island Ferry.
Mariner’s Temple is the former Oliver Street Baptist Church. It is located at Henry Street, and dates from 1845. The temple used to be a worshiping place for sailors. Now it serves both Black and Chinese communicants in the area. Although engulfed in the chaos of Chinatown, its classic Greek Revival Ionic style evokes imagination of an ancient era.
A few blocks away it, St. James Church rises. Built between 1835 and 1837, it is a Greek Revival church with unique column arrangements. It is the second oldest Roman Catholic building in the city. It was fated to be torn down in the 80s, but eventually saved by the community. After a fire in 2011, the church suffered severe damage and remains closed.
Places of god in New York can be dated back to era of Dutch settlements. Trinity Church, started in 1697, over a century before the grid plan. It was rebuilt twice on the same site. The currently building was built between 1839 and 1846. At the head of Wall Street, Trinity church gives us a glimpse of life in New Amsterdam. It stands at the end point of Wall Street, and its presence can be seen the entire street, like a looming beacon, an easily comprehensible monument to the pedestrians. The church’s cemetery offers an urban retreat. In this case, the church organizes the city, as it is the norm in a Medieval town.
trinity church
Riverside Memorial Chapel from 1925 is located at the intersection of Amsterdam and W 76th St. Apart from three Gothic windows, everything about this building is not particularly church like. The massive canopy, for example, portrays the building as a modern institution.
St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church (1826-1840) is a Greek Revival building located at the intersection of Church St. and Barclay St. This is the oldest site of Catholic worship in New York. It has smooth Ionic columns and a wood-framed pediment. A flight of steps on Barclay St. provides an intermediary space between the chaotic city and the highly orderly church.
Zion St. Mark’s Church in Upper East Side is a reminder of early German immigrants who created it in 1888.
The famous Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine has undergone onand-off construction which spanned over a century. It remains incomplete.
Most Holy Crucifix Church (1926) occupied a tiny lot in this crowded area in Little Italy - a break inserted in a neat row of tenements.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 87th street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue is completely surrounded by high-rise residential buildings.
Archdiocesan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1931) on East 74th St. is flanked by high-rise residential buildings. Its neighbour from across the street casts shadows that seem to blend well with the architecture.
Fourth Universalist Society (1897-1898) at the intersection of W 76th St and Central Park West is reminiscent of Oxford University with its Neo-Gothic tower.
Rich in church motifs, this clock tower belongs to Jefferson Market Library, which served as a courthouse from 1877.
Church of the Epiphany on 2nd Ave, between E 21 St and E 22nd St was built in 1967 after the previous 19th century church was burnt. It represents a modern statement for a religious building. Apart from style, the small but functional public space in front makes it unique.
St. Teresa’s Church on Rutgers and Henry Street seen from a block south. Built in 1842, it was then serving a rural community. In the coming years, the church witnessed the influx of immigrants, and the rapid expansion of the city.
St. Stephen of Hungary School on E 82nd St has a small courtyard attached. When looking through the fence, one can see humble statues as well as some scattered toys.
Sung Tak Buddhist Temple (1903) on Pike St. between East Broadway and Henry St. was built in German round-arched Neo-Romanesque style with Moorish Revival touches. There is a book store tucked underneath with a statue of Guan Yin presiding above.
St. Michael’s Chapel (1858-1859) on Mulberry St shares the same brick wall with the nearby St patrick’s Old Cathedral (1809-1815) . The peaceful green spaces behind are inaccessible from the street. One tall tombstone pokes above the wall.
St. Bartholomew’s Church (1914-1919) offers a precious break along Park Avenue.
St. Patrick’s Cathedral (1853-97) with its richly carved pinnacles and twin towers, against the backdrop of Rockefeller center.
The monumental facade of St. John the Divine and St. Patrick’s Cathedral can hardly be isolated from their immediate urban context.
Yunyue Chen GSAPP M.Arch 18 yc3120@columbia.edu 1-917-916-5250