.gif)
Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist (Chicago)
Encyclopedia
Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist, built in 1968, is an award-winning Modern
style Christian Science
church building located in The Loop
at 55 E Wacker Drive, (at Wabash Avenue) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States
. It was designed by noted Chicago
-based architect
Harry Weese
, whose most famous work is the Washington Metro
but who is remembered best as the architect who "shaped Chicago’s skyline and the way the city thought about everything from the lakefront to its treasure-trove of historical buildings."
Built by Sumner Sollitt Construction Company of concrete in a circular design, the building has no windows. Outside light comes through a skylight at the top of the oculus
in the center of the conical roof. Pedestrian entrance to the building is via a bridge over a sunken garden, which Weese said "was for the benefit of the [subterranean] Sunday School, which didn't have any windows." The semicircular auditorium which seats 764 is designed so that no seat is more than 54 feet from the Readers' Platform, which is the focal point of all Christian Science
church auditoriums. An invisible sound reinforcement system
with 350 hidden microphones allows those in attendance at the Wednesday evening testimonial meetings to give testimonies without having to leave their seats. Off street parking is provided by a subterranean parking garage. A feature of the lower lobby is an acrylic painting on canvas entitled "Millenium Garden: Psalm 23,” by Chicago artist Anne Farley Gaines. In 1996 Seventeenth Church received the 25 Year Award of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
.
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
style Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
church building located in The Loop
Chicago Loop
The Loop or Chicago Loop is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located in the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the historic commercial center of downtown Chicago...
at 55 E Wacker Drive, (at Wabash Avenue) in Chicago, Illinois in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was designed by noted Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Harry Weese
Harry Weese
Harry Mohr Weese was an American architect, born in Evanston, Illinois in the Chicago suburbs, who had an important role in 20th century modernism and historic preservation...
, whose most famous work is the Washington Metro
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro, commonly called Metro, and unofficially Metrorail, is the rapid transit system in Washington, D.C., United States, and its surrounding suburbs. It is administered by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority , which also operates Metrobus service under the Metro name...
but who is remembered best as the architect who "shaped Chicago’s skyline and the way the city thought about everything from the lakefront to its treasure-trove of historical buildings."
Built by Sumner Sollitt Construction Company of concrete in a circular design, the building has no windows. Outside light comes through a skylight at the top of the oculus
Oculus
An Oculus, circular window, or rain-hole is a feature of Classical architecture since the 16th century. They are often denoted by their French name, oeil de boeuf, or "bull's-eye". Such circular or oval windows express the presence of a mezzanine on a building's façade without competing for...
in the center of the conical roof. Pedestrian entrance to the building is via a bridge over a sunken garden, which Weese said "was for the benefit of the [subterranean] Sunday School, which didn't have any windows." The semicircular auditorium which seats 764 is designed so that no seat is more than 54 feet from the Readers' Platform, which is the focal point of all Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
church auditoriums. An invisible sound reinforcement system
Sound reinforcement system
A sound reinforcement system is the combination of microphones, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers that makes live or pre-recorded sounds louder and may also distribute those sounds to a larger or more distant audience...
with 350 hidden microphones allows those in attendance at the Wednesday evening testimonial meetings to give testimonies without having to leave their seats. Off street parking is provided by a subterranean parking garage. A feature of the lower lobby is an acrylic painting on canvas entitled "Millenium Garden: Psalm 23,” by Chicago artist Anne Farley Gaines. In 1996 Seventeenth Church received the 25 Year Award of the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
.