St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church
ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CATHOLIC CHURCH
Constantine George Pappas AIA Architecture/Planning
YEAR
2008
LOCATION
United States
CATEGORY
Churches
Text description provided by architect.
Religious life in the Catholic Church has changed. Creating a new sense of “community” is now the primary goal of new Catholic facilities.
To meet the growing community needs of this parish, the congregation decided to expand and renovate its existing Church, as well as creating five new components to the complex; a Community Gathering Space, a Daily Mass Chapel, a Parish Activities Center, an Education Religious Center and new Administrative Office Center.
The design team created a concept of a “ religious campus” where five individual buildings are designed to house different functions, all are connected by a central “community Gathering Space ”, surrounded by landscape courtyards.
To give a sense of being part of the outdoors, materials are brought from the outside in. They include a glue lamination wood trellis roof, brick masonry and structural steel.
The focal point of the complex is the Daily Mass Chapel. The Chapel contains a symbolic stained glass artwork taken from the original Church.
The expanded sanctuary is designed in a semi-circular plan, using the architecture to allow the community to gather around the Table.
The new interior of the sanctuary is detailed with wood panels designed to add warmth to the space while reflecting and refracting sound in an acoustically challenging space.
