Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959)’s father had been a Universalist preacher. With their emphasis on a loving God, Universalists were early advocates of endling slavery and the first church to ordain women. In 1886 Universalist Augusta Chapin became minister of the Oak Park Unity Church Chicago, attracting new members to the assembly including Lloyd Wright’s mother Anna. Frank’s maternal family were Welsh Unitarians; his uncle Jenkin Lloyd Jones was a noted Unitarian preacher in Chicago where Frank and his first wife Catherine Tobin were married in 1889. Wright identified with Unitarianism’s rational humanism i.e the uniting of all beings with the divine presence.
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A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Pastor R Johonnot of Unity Church of Oak Park was known for his liberal views. When Unity Church burned down in Jun 1905, Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned to rebuild for the Unitarian congregation. And in 1906 Dr Johonnot published a booklet: A New Edifice for Unity Church. He wanted a modern building to express the principles of unity, simplicity, freedom, truth, beauty and reason. Aged 38, Wright was the ideal architect. The design he presented ignored most existing conventions for church architecture. On the choice of building material Wright stated “There was only one material to choose; concrete, because it was cheap.” Yet Wright knew that concrete was unconventional for American and European religious architecture; concrete was ugly!
Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture meant his concrete was left uncovered. His materials defined his architecture in In the Cause of Architecture (1908). Without good reason we should not depart from the customary, especially in regard to sacred things. But if the change was governed by sound reason, adjustment is needed. Bring out the nature of the materials. Let their nature intimately into your scheme. Reveal the wood, brick or stone in your designs, they are all by nature friendly and beautiful. No treatment can be a matter of fine art when those natural features are neglected.
Approached from Lake St, the building was a massive concrete shape, sheltered under a wide flat roof, on a corner of two busy roads. Wright cleverly manipulated the sanctuary entrance; he guided the visitor via dark passages, ascending into the open, bright sanctuary, the heart of a spacious building. Its elegant articulation and warm colours contrasted with the grey concrete exterior. With no overt religious symbols, its geometric proportions harmonised. No opening was seen; the top portion of the sanctuary appeared light and transparent except for high clerestory windows with leaded glass and recessed behind piers and overhanging eaves. Thus the building received their natural light.
Set in a concrete grid were 25 square skylights of amber tinted leaded glass. The effect was intended “…to get a sense of a happy cloudless day into the room… daylight sifting through between the intersecting concrete beams, filtering through ceiling lights. Thus the light would have the warmth of sunlight.”
Wright's separate spaces provided for 2 different functions in the modern church: a sacred place for worship/Unity Temple and a secular one/ Parish House for other facilities. Separating these two functions allowed for the creation of a specific atmosphere. The plan showed the two buildings united by an entrance lobby hidden from its surroundings, allowing visitors to ascend from street level to enter the sacred building. The low hall united the buildings; to the south it opened directly onto Parish House with its a central meeting hall and balcony classrooms.
The architect had been given a budget of $45,000, so he chose concrete to save money. Yet the completed building ultimately cost twice the contracted price, due to unexpected problems. In Sept 1909 the new building was dedicated, even though its unique design bore little resemblance to the other churches along Lake St.
Wright’s theory of organic design was seen in the harmony of the building’s geometric architecture and decorative elements. The cubes were a revolutionary design in the religious architecture world. There was no steeple reaching upwards; instead Wright's focus was within the spaces themselves and their functions. The worship space was a grand 4-storey space with seating on different levels and 3 sides of the room so that noone was 40'+ from the pulpit.
Unity Temple was among the first monumental buildings to be comprised of reinforced concrete that was poured on site. The concrete gave the temple a solid, bold finish that created its monumentality, used to mould the organic details that decorate the exterior of the Prairie-style building. Frank’s Unity Temple was called the greatest public building of the architect’s Chicago years, and one of the U.S’s most famous sacred buildings. It has been a U.S National Historic Landmark since 1971.
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Unity Church Oak Park Il
1905-8, Wiki
Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture meant his concrete was left uncovered. His materials defined his architecture in In the Cause of Architecture (1908). Without good reason we should not depart from the customary, especially in regard to sacred things. But if the change was governed by sound reason, adjustment is needed. Bring out the nature of the materials. Let their nature intimately into your scheme. Reveal the wood, brick or stone in your designs, they are all by nature friendly and beautiful. No treatment can be a matter of fine art when those natural features are neglected.
Approached from Lake St, the building was a massive concrete shape, sheltered under a wide flat roof, on a corner of two busy roads. Wright cleverly manipulated the sanctuary entrance; he guided the visitor via dark passages, ascending into the open, bright sanctuary, the heart of a spacious building. Its elegant articulation and warm colours contrasted with the grey concrete exterior. With no overt religious symbols, its geometric proportions harmonised. No opening was seen; the top portion of the sanctuary appeared light and transparent except for high clerestory windows with leaded glass and recessed behind piers and overhanging eaves. Thus the building received their natural light.
Set in a concrete grid were 25 square skylights of amber tinted leaded glass. The effect was intended “…to get a sense of a happy cloudless day into the room… daylight sifting through between the intersecting concrete beams, filtering through ceiling lights. Thus the light would have the warmth of sunlight.”
Wright's separate spaces provided for 2 different functions in the modern church: a sacred place for worship/Unity Temple and a secular one/ Parish House for other facilities. Separating these two functions allowed for the creation of a specific atmosphere. The plan showed the two buildings united by an entrance lobby hidden from its surroundings, allowing visitors to ascend from street level to enter the sacred building. The low hall united the buildings; to the south it opened directly onto Parish House with its a central meeting hall and balcony classrooms.
The architect had been given a budget of $45,000, so he chose concrete to save money. Yet the completed building ultimately cost twice the contracted price, due to unexpected problems. In Sept 1909 the new building was dedicated, even though its unique design bore little resemblance to the other churches along Lake St.
Wright’s theory of organic design was seen in the harmony of the building’s geometric architecture and decorative elements. The cubes were a revolutionary design in the religious architecture world. There was no steeple reaching upwards; instead Wright's focus was within the spaces themselves and their functions. The worship space was a grand 4-storey space with seating on different levels and 3 sides of the room so that noone was 40'+ from the pulpit.
Unity Temple was among the first monumental buildings to be comprised of reinforced concrete that was poured on site. The concrete gave the temple a solid, bold finish that created its monumentality, used to mould the organic details that decorate the exterior of the Prairie-style building. Frank’s Unity Temple was called the greatest public building of the architect’s Chicago years, and one of the U.S’s most famous sacred buildings. It has been a U.S National Historic Landmark since 1971.
Wright's leaded glass encircles the flat, coffered ceiling
Column decoration
Wiki
Community Space
FrankLloydWrightFoundation
The Trustees thanked Wright: “We extend to the architect our most hearty congratulations upon the wonderful achievement embodied in the new edifice and further extend to him our most sincere thanks for the great service which he has rendered to the parish and to the community. We believe the building will long endure as a monument to his artistic genius and that it will stand forth as a masterpiece of art and architecture.” Their words were prophetic. Other concrete churches were soon accepted!
Wright’s church is not my favourite in the U.S, but I was very keen to examine his notion of Form Follows Function in a religious building. Thank you to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.
Wright’s church is not my favourite in the U.S, but I was very keen to examine his notion of Form Follows Function in a religious building. Thank you to the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.