A Hothouse Chapel in Hurricane Alley ("Ugly As Sin" At Ave Maria U.)

CruxNews.com ^ | 3/26/2004 | Michael Rose

[dangus]

>>And why on earth would a small Catholic school with 122 students knocking around 1,000 acres in the remote swamplands of Florida need—or want—to accommodate a whopping 3,300 people? <<

From the rest of the architecture, I'd say he's expecting a LOT more than 122 students. What kind of an idiot would start construction on a chapel built for only his CURRENT needs. Is 3,300 necessary... It seems like a lot, but if he expects the entire school to go to mass, at once, together, all I can say is... COOL!

[dangus]

>> F.L. Wright's architectural style does not lend itself to churches or cathedrals easily. <<

Wright's crowning achievement is the Copley Place church in Boston.

[Between the Lines]

All the warmth of a modern office building or shopping mall. Inappropriate design!

For some reason I keep picturing Rick Warren at the alter of this church in his Hawaiian shirts. Seems this would fit him. He could even wear sunglasses then.

[A.A. Cunningham]

I suppose you like this monstrosity of a church?

That's an ill-informed assumption masquerading as a question, which is Sinkspur modus operandi.

Monoghan can do whatever he wants with his money, but building a glass structure in a hot, hurricane-prone area reflects very poorly on his judgment.Yet you'll still call him arrogant.

The article indicates that this is still a proposal, doesn't it? Unless you're privy to what is actually going to happen, which we all know you aren't, then I'll give the benefit of the doubt to Monaghan and Father Fessio and continue to reject your heterodoxy and insolence, pal.

Protege tuam pugam, deacon.

[sinkspur]

The article indicates that this is still a proposal, doesn't it?

Not according to Michael Rose, the author of the article:

One call to the university assured me that this is no joke. It’s the real thing—and they’re moving ahead with the project come heat or hurricanes. The chapel is expected to be completed in 2006 along with much of the rest of the new campus.

You just want to fight.

[sinkspur]

continue to reject your heterodoxy and insolence, pal.

Are you angling to become the Richard Clarke of the Catholic caucus? You seem to be auditioning for the part.

[AnAmericanMother]

dangus, I have a large book of FLW's drawings and I do not see a Copley Place church listed in it. Nor do I see it on the FLW plan lists on the web (admittedly a cursory look). The only church in Copley Place is the (quite lovely) Episcopal Church designed by H.H. Richardson.

Our parish church is designed in the "Richardsonian" (Romanesque Revival) style.

Some FLW churches:

I don't think much of the "flying saucer" Greek Orthodox church, but the others aren't too bad.

Not traditional, though.

FWIW, I hate the proposed Ave Maria chapel. It would be possible to do something more traditional in brick or stone that would fit in with the "Prairie style" FLW architecture.

[dangus]

That is the church. When I was there they had a huge exhibit about Frank Lloyd Wright. If it is Richardson, it was a very confusing display, because I did think to myself, "It doesn't seem like anything Wright would have done, and it seems too old."

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Unfortunately, you were exactly right in your prediction about this university.

I am disappointed in Father Fessio.

[Pyro7480]

We don't know what Fr. Fessio thinks of this. Though he is chancellor, he may have little to no control over this aspect, since Monaghan is the "big man."

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Maybe, but we run the risk of falling into the same argument used with the Pope, "the guy in charge has no power or knowledge to control the problem."

The buck stops with Father Fessio. I can't believe he, as a priest and chancellor, didn't see this drawing from day one. I'll bet money he told the architect what he wanted. This is bigger than Monaghan.

[Desdemona]

I'll definitely write.

Coral rock would be better to use than glass. That thing is ugly besides.

[Between the Lines]

From: Ave Maria University to feature largest Catholic church, crucifix---Freep News

Administrators at Ave Maria University, the country's first new Roman Catholic university in four decades, outlined plans Wednesday to build a bold campus that would include one of the nation's largest Catholic churches and crucifixes.

snip- Officials said the oratory would be the largest fixed-seating Catholic church in the nation, holding capacity for 3,333 to 3,500 congregants. Embedded into its front facade would be a 65-foot red-tinted glass cross with a 40-foot corpus, or body of Christ.

Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza and former owner of the Detroit Tigers, said the church would be the center of the university and "the very thing that reminds us of what we're about," symbolizing the campus "like the Golden Dome is the symbol of Notre Dame."

I find it interesting that Monaghan would want to build the world's largest crucifix in two locations. See: Monaghan proposes world's largest crucifix---Detroit News

[Pyro7480]

I think he was denied the zoning for the Michigan location.

[AnAmericanMother]

Wonder why they had an exhibit on Wright. They could do a lovely exhibit on Richardson and the various designers and craftsmen who worked for him. He really made a concerted and thoughtful effort to go back to the Romanesque style, although it does have Victorian accretions.

More Richardson (he could get a little out of hand):

I find the Romanesque style a little bulky and lacking in height for my taste. Churches ought to look more or less like this:

St. Mary Magdalene, Clitheroe, Lancs. (mostly 15th c.)

[livius]

It may interest you all to know that when St. Patrick's Cathedral (in NYC) was built, there was little but farmland in the area. It was considered the extreme northern limit of civilized Manhattan, and the Archbishop was widely ridiculed for building it, and building it so big, to boot.

Personally, I'm not ecstatic about the design of this one, but it could certainly be a lot worse. We have a small rather similar chapel in my part of Florida, built so it looks out over a lake (it may be the same architect - he's popular in Florida). It's light and very graceful and appropriate.

Florida is a very beautiful place with very beautiful skies and vistas, and I would imagine that part of the architect's intention was to capture this. I'm sure the materials being used will compensate for the problems with sun, etc. Furthermore, a modern building is much more appropriate for that part of Florida.

The "quasi-Mission style" is in use in much of Florida, with the rather hideous modern variation of being built to house a "church in the round" so that everybody surrounds Father's throne as he sits grinning vacuously out at the herd. I mean, flock. And of course, it has no statues, a barely recognizable altar, the Cross has no corpus, etc.

This church appears to be quite traditional in its arrangement of space, and the cross on the front will have a corpus. What I want, of course, is a good Tridentine mass inside, but I guess I'll have to settle for respectful and non-innovative NO.

[AAABEST]

I hate the way it looks on paper, but maybe in context it would look good.

I was at the dedication mass for this yesterday. It was truly surreal to be standing literally in the middle of nowhere in a rural tomato field with the Vatican Choir singing live in the background. The mass was facing the altar, yet I've heard that the tridentine won't be allowed.

I'm not quite sure what to make of this whole endeavor yet.... signals are mixed but seems promising.

[AnAmericanMother]

How was it? How did the choir sound? That must have been a surreal experience.

[Pyro7480]

Florida is a very beautiful place with very beautiful skies and vistas, and I would imagine that part of the architect's intention was to capture this. I'm sure the materials being used will compensate for the problems with sun, etc.

Reading these sentences reminded me of an episode of the Simpsons where Homer and Marge are caught in the open naked, and end up escaping in a hot-air balloon. At one point in their escapade, Homer falls out of the balloon's basket, and grabs onto a rope attached to the balloon, and his naked body gets dragged across the glass roof of a church full of people. It's a very funny scene.

[Unam Sanctam]

I am thankful it is not a church in-the-round. I really do dislike the amphitheatre feel of those modern church churches. I prefer the cruciform, which seems to lead one up toward the Divine.