Very cool space. But I think Underhill would have shredded it with yesterdays credit card applications. Sitting on the highly polished-glass like floor, are actual "glass" chairs (no plumbers here please), the walls are unadorned, hard and reflective as is the hard surface of the ceilings high above. At the end of the aisle is an altar behind which soars a clear-glass curtain wall open to the blue skies beyond. Though a cool space, nothing seems to be designed with the intent to satify the needs of the users. The chairs are almost invisible. Think of the problems that will cause for one's depth perception, how about Grandma's perception. And that is not all the abuse your sight will suffer here. Try staring at the altar for an hour with the glare of the noon-day sky in the backround. The contrast is probably so bad you'd have a headache by the time they pass the hat. I can't imagine the acoustics are that great either.It seems pretty easy to know when a space is not successful in achieving Underhills level of harmony. I guess Underhill would evaluate success of the space based on a practical approach like...what percentage of growth has the parish experienced since moving into the new space. Have they been able to attract and keep new families within the parish. Maybe the design is inspiring enough to overcome the deficiencies. I know I'd like to visit.
4 comments:
Tim, I agree with you. This would be a great place to visit but I would hate to be in attendence during a sunny day. I bet they have some sunglasses to hand out just so they can see the alter. Underhill would definitly have a difficult time trying to analyze this space to see if it is designed with the users in mind.
I've never understood glass chairs... they are just unsettling to me.... when I think about sitting down, I want something sturdy and stable.....steel or wood or some space-age plastic... I inherently see the glass as fragile and prone to shattering if I put any weight on it....the idea of sitting on glass leaves me "clenching".... I see shards of glass where the sun don't shine..... even if my brain tells me otherwise.... funny....
Tim:
You have a very clear perception of the final result. As complex as some of the issues -serenity, simplicity and materials, you present a strong image that can be overlooked by others. I struggle with the clarity and simplicity issues also.
Nice blog. Regarding the Setre. It's worth keeping in mind that this is very much a wedding chapel. As such, it's used by Buddhist and Shinto Japanese who want a 'cool' wedding - and they equate cool with Western and Western with Christian. So, yes, grandma has to find her seat here - but only once, because tomorrow she's back to her local temple or shrine, and the granddaughter and her husband are honeymooning in Hawaii.
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