The sleek new addition is a five-storey, 82,000 square feet structure designed to present a modern backdrop to the historic church with gothic arches and a limestone façade.
Gensler’s design proposal involves ripping of all the additions of the past, and stripping the building to its original 1914 neo-gothic form, which was designed by prolific architect Ralph Adams Cram. Over the course of its life, the church has created building additions in 1946, 1957, and 1994. The new scheme involves creation of a structure just large enough to meet increased needs but within the height of the original church’s sanctuary. Gensler’s design complements the old church rather than mimicking it.
Some elements of the old church will be copied in a less-literal sense. For instance window proportions will be echoed in the width and height of the patinated copper panels which clad the new structure. Copper has been selected in an attempt to match with the original structure’s elements. The wall facing Chestnut is incorporated with a tall vertical window suggesting the church spire.
Gensler has incorporated a spacious, double-height atrium to link the new and old buildings. Integration of a clerestory and a grand staircase leading up to the chapel are some other unique features.
The new wing is designed to be family and children-focused, housing varied functional elements such as 22 classrooms, a dining hall and kitchen, an outdoor patio and play area, and a 350-person chapel sized for weddings, funerals, and concerts.
