Design & Build Magazine May/June 2015

WHEN THE CONGREGATION AND STAFF OF ATLANTA’S
Christ Church Presbyterian realized they had outgrown
their original space, they set about searching
for a new location that
would accommodate
their growing numbers
as well as serve
the community in a
profound way. “Our
congregation is committed
to serving both
our neighborhood and
the City of Atlanta
through welcome, outreach
and worship,”
said Rev. Dr. Paul
Gardner, the senior
pastor. “We outgrew
our former facility and
needed a larger space
where we could worship
and meet together,
invite people to join us and
provide gathering spaces for youth, classes, meals,
counseling and ministry work.” Seven years ago, the
congregation purchased a three-story office building
at the corner of Peachtree and 25th Streets, just a
few blocks from their former location, and began
the process of clarifying what they wanted
to do with the site. Church members
agreed they wanted to incorporate
as much of the existing building
as possible into a new facility,
rather than destroy it.
“Christ Church researched
and interviewed a number of
architecture and construction
firms,” said Ted Hall, owner’s representative
for the project. “The building
committee was familiar with Gertler & Wente
through their innovative repurposing of a 1913
Manhattan parking garage into a spectacular new
church for Redeemer Presbyterian Church. We believed
G&W could bring fresh and exciting ideas to
Atlanta to transform our vision for a new sanctuary
into a beautiful design. And Van Winkle Construction
has a great deal of experience building churches including
some of metro Atlanta’s iconic sanctuaries.”
The two architecture
firms collaborated on a
design that expanded
the existing building
on its south side and
elevated the roof and
windows above a 925-
seat sanctuary with
a cross formed from
narrow windows on
the north-facing wall.
Seating inside the sanctuary
is accomplished
through stackable chairs,
rather than permanent
pews, making the room
flexible for other uses
apart from worship services.
The Peachtree
Street side of the building
features a subtle tower with three crosses facing
north, south and east. An inviting courtyard transitions
visitors from the busy city streetscape to the
more contemplative areas of the building.
“As New Urbanists, we like to push buildings
out to the sidewalk to encourage interaction
and pedestrian traffic – goals
shared by Christ Church,” said
Jerry Spangler, AIA, LEED AP,
and founding principal of TSW.
“The new church features a coffee
shop facing Peachtree Street
and an art gallery on the building’s
south side. The contextual
modern design helps the structure
blend in with its neighbors, and we used
steel and glass in the construction as well as
more traditional church building materials like
brick and stone. The exterior is clad in a largescale
porcelain panel along with the brick, glass and
steel. Passers-by know it’s a church, but they might
have to take a second look to be sure,” he said.
DB Written by Julie Herron Carson
“Christ Church is a dynamic, young congregation
with a strong mission of reaching out to the
community. In our early meetings with church
leaders, they stressed their desire for a visible, environmentally-friendly
church building that invites
people in and serves the community in ways beyond
traditional worship. They wanted the structure
to make a strong architectural statement
and reflect the forward-thinking, modern dynamic
of Midtown. At the same time, we all agreed
that using as much of the existing building as was
feasible would be good for the environment and
cost-effective for the church.”
~Larry J. Wente of Gertler & Wente
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MAY/JUNE 2015 • DESIGN&BUILD MAGAZINE