Calvary Baptist Church

This historic congregation's redevelopment plan combined adjacent properties, demolished and excavated the site, and made way for a brand-new church as well as a new Class-A office tower rising from the shared podium. The church's 350-seat sanctuary will occupy the lower podium, with classrooms, administration offices, and mechanical space located above. Two below-grade levels will include a gym/fellowship hall, kitchen, and nursery.
The architecture and interior design of the church is inspired by the symbolism and concepts of water and reflection, doors, filtered light, and diversity. The sanctuary is conceived as a precious, protected object within the larger space, and its importance is highlighted by its form—double-height, curved, multi-shelled, and clad in wood. Given the podium's prominent street frontage, exterior signage and a curtain wall façade that plays with materiality and transparency, revealing the sanctuary to passersby, will offer greater visibility and connection between the neighborhood and the church.