Modern Church Architecture

[FuzzyBunny116]

Why has it all gone downhill? I’ve met one person who likes modern architecture (and only a few more the music). So why does it seem like every parish has succumbed to awful design? Does it really cost much less? Is there a tyranny, a dictatorship of people with bad taste asking for the design of these monstrasities?

olacathedral.org/

Case and point. Is there any hope?

 

[Mirdath]

Please go back to gothic cathedrals and plain chant, you guys really had a good thing going there

 

[didymus]

Why has it all gone downhill? I’ve met one person who likes modern architecture (and only a few more the music). So why does it seem like every parish has succumbed to awful design? Does it really cost much less? Is there a tyranny, a dictatorship of people with bad taste asking for the design of these monstrasities?

olacathedral.org/

Case and point. Is there any hope?

Looking at the pics all I can say is it could be worse. At least all the pews are facing the same way and the altar is up front instead of the [choke!] “theater in the round” style. There’s a crucifix prominently displayed so you can tell it’s a Catholic church.

If you want to see a real cathedral come to Albany:

http://www.cathedralic.com/center_shot.jpg

http://www.cathedralic.com/cathedhome.jpg

Some folks are criticising Bishop Hubbard for “wasting” money on renovating the Cathedral at a time when parishes are being closed. I figure it’s a family heirloom and we shouldn’t let it crumble.

 

[AngelRose81]

didymus, the cathedral there in Albany is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Our cathedral in Memphis, imo, is very pretty & traditional. They just renovated it a couple of years ago but they kept a lot of traditional archetecture. (the one in Nashville is also very pretty)

On the other hand, there are several newer looking churches in our diocese that have that “modern” feel to them. I’m not a fan of it.

In fact the cathedral that the OP is mentioning looks more like what you see some “mega-churches” looking like on the inside from the pics i saw of it. For some I guess that’s ok but me, I love the traditional style–gothic, ancient, whatever you want to call it–that’s for me. I guess that maybe the modern cathedral may have some attraction to others. Oh well, i do wish that all of the churches looked more traditional!

 

[AngelRose81]

BTW, here are the links to the one in Memphis
iccathedral.org/

(not sure if there are pics of the inside up yet though)

and the cathedral in Nasville

cathedralnashville.org/

Both cathedrals are quite similar in architecture both on the inside and out with the exception of the style of the baptismal font and the cathedral in Nashville is quite a bit larger I think…

 

[didymus]

BTW, here are the links to the one in Memphis
iccathedral.org/

(not sure if there are pics of the inside up yet though)

and the cathedral in Nasville

cathedralnashville.org/

Both cathedrals are quite similar in architecture both on the inside and out with the exception of the style of the baptismal font and the cathedral in Nashville is quite a bit larger I think…

Wow! To tell the truth, before I got on CAF I never even knew there were Catholics in Nashville (Yankee stereotyping, I’m afraid).
I love the idea of a reconciliation chapel.

 

[FuzzyBunny116]

How can such a large group of people (the people who commission new churches) have such a small dose of common sense to pick that Los Angeles church over that gorgeous Albany one.

 

[1ke]

Why has it all gone downhill?

A broad, sweeping generalization. One that I disagree with. “It” has not “all gone downhill”. There are many beautiful churches being built, some modern and some in a traditional style.

Gothic style was once “new”… Baroque was once a new-fangled look… when these styles were introduced perhaps people yearned for the “old days” of the Romanesque churches.

“Modern” is only a point of view.

I’ve met one person who likes modern architecture (and only a few more the music).

There are many people who like modern architecture. I am one of them, depending upon the architect and the building. I don’t like “all” modern architecture, but I’ve seen a lot that I do like.

So why does it seem like every parish has succumbed to awful design?

Perhaps because you are looking for things to bash? I have found very few parishes (in all my traveling… which is a lot… and in all the parishes in the large city I used to live in) to have “awful” design. Only a very few have I found to be “ugly” (which is somewhat in the eye of the beholder).

Is there a tyranny, a dictatorship of people with bad taste asking for the design of these monstrasities?

What do you consider bad taste, and why?

Our Lady of the Angels is a beautiful cathedral. I visited there in 2005.

 

[katy]

The only “Modern” style ones I have been in look like we need to hurry to get our popcorn before the show starts, oh wait, somebody’s going to celebrate Mass instead. And there seems to be the least amout of actual Christian/Catholic decoration possible to break up the sterility.

 

[AngelRose81]

Wow! To tell the truth, before I got on CAF I never even knew there were Catholics in Nashville (Yankee stereotyping, I’m afraid).
I love the idea of a reconciliation chapel.

Well, there probably aren’t many in Nashville, Memphis, or anywere in Middle or West Tennessee…We’re a rare breed here!!

Seriously, though, there are many Catholic churches in both the Nashville and Memphis dicoeses. I actually live in Jackson and we have quite a large parish.

 

[1ke]

img401.imageshack.us/img401/9136/10003493cy.th.jpg

This church, to me, is very modern and very beautiful. It is St. Pio’s shrine in San Giovanni Rotundo, Italy.

This is the picture my husband took there, and you can see more at this link.

 

[jc-servant]

There are many newer churches that are not “modern” styles. See the link below for the photos of my parish church dedicated in 2001 (but really the size of a lot of cathedrals). The outside is sort of SW Mission and pretty while on a huge scale, but the inside is amazing to me. The outside walled courtyard actually has the “front doors” of the church and is wonderful for parish events like dinner dances or for just sitting and listening to the traditional music softly piped over outdoor speakers. Check out the retabla in the main chapel that was carved in Italy and shipped in pieces to TX!

stannparish.org/ctour/about/index.html

 

[Writer]

Why has it all gone downhill? I’ve met one person who likes modern architecture (and only a few more the music). So why does it seem like every parish has succumbed to awful design? Does it really cost much less? Is there a tyranny, a dictatorship of people with bad taste asking for the design of these monstrasities?

olacathedral.org/

Case and point. Is there any hope?

There was a good letter to the editor on this in February or March issue of *This Rock. *It’s a complicated topic, but I think there is reason to hope.

 

[BillyT92679]

A broad, sweeping generalization. One that I disagree with. “It” has not “all gone downhill”. There are many beautiful churches being built, some modern and some in a traditional style.

Gothic style was once “new”… Baroque was once a new-fangled look… when these styles were introduced perhaps people yearned for the “old days” of the Romanesque churches.

“Modern” is only a point of view.

There are many people who like modern architecture. I am one of them, depending upon the architect and the building. I don’t like “all” modern architecture, but I’ve seen a lot that I do like.

Perhaps because you are looking for things to bash? I have found very few parishes (in all my traveling… which is a lot… and in all the parishes in the large city I used to live in) to have “awful” design. Only a very few have I found to be “ugly” (which is somewhat in the eye of the beholder).

What do you consider bad taste, and why?

Our Lady of the Angels is a beautiful cathedral. I visited there in 2005.

Honestly, I would say more than half of the churches built after 1965 are hideous and are often detrimental to the spiritual well-being of the congregation.

 

[1ke]

Honestly, I would say more than half of the churches built after 1965 are hideous and are often detrimental to the spiritual well-being of the congregation.

Then I guess I have only encountered the other half.

 

[otjm]

“To each his own”, said the old lady as she kissed the cow…

You are welcome to your personal taste. That is not, however, necessarily any better than the next person’s. I think a beautiful cathedral is St. Mary’s in San Francisco, dubbed by some wit as Mother Mary Maytag…

 

[Ignatius2000]

Well, there probably aren’t many in Nashville, Memphis, or anywere in Middle or West Tennessee…We’re a rare breed here!!

Seriously, though, there are many Catholic churches in both the Nashville and Memphis dioceses. I actually live in Jackson and we have quite a large parish.

Man, I used to live in…Paris of all places. Yes, Paris, TN. Holy Cross Church, the only one in Henry county. We had a wonderful priest while I was there, Fr. Victor Ciaramitaro. Bishop Steib moved him somewhere closer to Memphis, St. Michael’s I believe.

Yeah, Catholics are uncommon in TN, but man, they have some good things going on for being spread so far.

 

[AngelRose81]

Man, I used to live in…Paris of all places. Yes, Paris, TN. Holy Cross Church, the only one in Henry county. We had a wonderful priest while I was there, Fr. Victor Ciaramitaro. Bishop Steib moved him somewhere closer to Memphis, St. Michael’s I believe.

Yeah, Catholics are uncommon in TN, but man, they have some good things going on for being spread so far.

I haven’t been to Paris in a long time. DH goes there alot for court though. Does Holy Cross have “modern” architecture?

Don’t know if I said or not but I go to St. Mary’s in Jackson.

here’s their site.

It looks kinda modern but not really. Very pretty on the inside.

 

[Ignatius2000]

I haven’t been to Paris in a long time. DH goes there alot for court though. Does Holy Cross have “modern” architecture?

Don’t know if I said or not but I go to St. Mary’s in Jackson.

here’s their site.

It looks kinda modern but not really. Very pretty on the inside.

Modern as far as the shape of the building. The interior is wood…lots of wood. For being dedicated to the Holy Cross, I think this Church has wonderful lines, in being shaped like a cross and all. Theres a story that whenever LifeFlight flies over Paris they look for the roof of the church since the long portion of the cross points directly towards the hospital.

Just as a note, that picture is quite old. The church had new stained glass put in around '98 I think.

 

[AngelRose81]

Modern as far as the shape of the building. The interior is wood…lots of wood. For being dedicated to the Holy Cross, I think this Church has wonderful lines, in being shaped like a cross and all. Theres a story that whenever LifeFlight flies over Paris they look for the roof of the church since the long portion of the cross points directly towards the hospital.

Just as a note, that picture is quite old. The church had new stained glass put in around '98 I think.

Very pretty. IMO, it doesn’t look as modern as some that are being built now. I may have to check it out sometime!