In Lewiston, Idaho, three individual Parishes are in the process of combining into one and are planning to build a new Campus to include the Church, Social Hall and Elementary School on a 42 acre site. MCM Architects are creating a long term master plan and the design and construction drawings for the Church and Social Hall. The project is organized around a central courtyard that creates a common point of entry to all the facilities and allows the church to be directly visible from inside the school. The overall form and materials of the project are traditional in nature with an emphasis on Roman Bascilica Churches for inspiration. A tower from one of the three existing Churches will be relocated and rescaled to act as a Sheep Gate entry marker to the courtyard.
We believe that the design of a sacred space is in itself an act of faith. The Architect and the Congregation must share a belief that, through collaboration and a shared set of values, they can create a space that will serve not only the present members but also future generations. That faith and the results of several centuries of Church architecture continue to inform each new building that is built for every faith, in every corner of the world. Religious structures are testaments to a deep collaboration between us as Architects and the Congregations and Clergy, who through their consent, allow us to bring forth our creative energy to assist in their service to God. Great sacred architecture is always a collaboration.
In this project the lineage of the old churches represents an important part of the community and we are committed to bringing elements of that collective memory forward in the creation of a new sacred place. A worship space is by nature a place of memory. We endeavor to reflect that memory in ways that are both direct and recognizable as will as abstract and representative of the spirit of the old place.
Doug Benson, AIA
dbenson@mcmarchitects.com
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