The Crystal Cathedral, Protestant Christian megachurch in the city of Garden Grove, California filed bankruptcy. The Church is also famous for its star architect buildings in its main campus, designed by Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson and Richard Meier. 
The Crystal Cathedral, Protestant Christian megachurch in the city of Garden Grove, California filed bankruptcy. The Church is also famous for its star architect buildings in its main campus, designed by Richard Neutra, Philip Johnson and Richard Meier. NYT
2 Comments
I always found this church conceptually interesting and innovative. The Philip Johnson design coupled religion with with the function of a television studio in mind. It had the perfect backdrop for the weekly broadcast sermons of tele-evangelist Schuller - an infinitely receding grid. The perspective metaphor, a visual rendering of infinity plus spirit, is a cousin to Pascal's famous mathematical description; 'God is a sphere whose circumference is infinite and whose center is everywhere".
The earlier designed Neutra drive-in church had radio broadcasts and clumsy speakers that hooked onto your car window with cars pointed toward the reverend's pulpit. The sanctuary tower and especially the ceiling is exuberant wiggly modern, Neutra at his loosest expressive best.
Cash strapped with donations down, it is now another victim of the economic meltdown.
eric chavkin
financial rebirth...
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.