st. thomas more catholic church renovation & expansion
ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH RENOVATION & EXPANSION Sarasota, Florida • Completion 2013
JNW Studios ARCHITECTURE • INTERIOR DESIGN, Sarasota, Florida • jnwstudios.com Julian Norman-Webb AIA, RIBA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C (principal) Father Don Henry, Pastor; St. Thomas More Parish Building Committee; Diocese of Venice in Florida (Client)
AM Engineering (Civil), Wilson Structural Consultants, Smith Seckman Reid, (MEP), Siebein Associates (Acoustical), Cobrooke (Architect of Record), Kurt Crist Landscape, Willis Smith Construction, Greg Wilson Photo, Ryan Gamma Photograph
While wishing to retain existing structure where appropriate, this church renovation was required to increase capacity from 800 to 1,400 seats. The 1983 church was not designed for expansion, despite Florida’s demographics. The entry was cramped and with inadequate facilities, disconnected from adjacent exterior space and the north-south axis disintegrated in a dark hall without sufficient light or drama to draw the eye to the Chapel. The existing worship space lacked focus, clear sightlines, joy or drama – qualities inherent to this church’s liturgy. The resulting $6.25 million, 29,900 square foot renovation and expansion project continues the modern vocabulary of the existing building. The building maintains parish memory by creatively salvaging certain items, reusing the existing structure of the northern Chapel and southern entry. Inserting the addition between these two brings the assembly into the heart of the building, bathed in calm northern daylight and warmed by measured quantities of direct daylight. The beech-wood-clad wall and east window behind the main altar reinforce the focus and sense of celebration. Significant glazing shows that the Church is always ‘open’ and visible. Inside, parishioners assemble in close proximity to the liturgy. The curved pews on the sloped floor provide a bowl of seats, bringing the assembly together with light and natural acoustics. The hard coffered ceiling above absorpent walls, allows a professional cantor to sing unaided and for the voice of the assembly to be heard in hymn and speech. The neutral color pallete throughout the Worship Space and Narthex allows the gathered assembly to be the color of the space.
2014 Faith & Form / IFRAA International Awards Program for Religious Art and Architecture
•
Religious Architecture - Renovation
•
Design Award
JNW Studios ARCHITECTURE • INTERIOR DESIGN, Sarasota, Florida • jnwstudios.com Julian Norman-Webb AIA, RIBA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C (principal) Father Don Henry, Pastor; St. Thomas More Parish Building Committee; Diocese of Venice in Florida (Client)
AM Engineering (Civil), Wilson Structural Consultants, Smith Seckman Reid, (MEP), Siebein Associates (Acoustical), Cobrooke (Architect of Record), Kurt Crist Landscape, Willis Smith Construction, Greg Wilson Photo, Ryan Gamma Photograph
While wishing to retain existing structure where appropriate, this church renovation was required to increase capacity from 800 to 1,400 seats. The 1983 church was not designed for expansion, despite Florida’s demographics. The entry was cramped and with inadequate facilities, disconnected from adjacent exterior space and the north-south axis disintegrated in a dark hall without sufficient light or drama to draw the eye to the Chapel. The existing worship space lacked focus, clear sightlines, joy or drama – qualities inherent to this church’s liturgy. The resulting $6.25 million, 29,900 square foot renovation and expansion project continues the modern vocabulary of the existing building. The building maintains parish memory by creatively salvaging certain items, reusing the existing structure of the northern Chapel and southern entry. Inserting the addition between these two brings the assembly into the heart of the building, bathed in calm northern daylight and warmed by measured quantities of direct daylight. The beech-wood-clad wall and east window behind the main altar reinforce the focus and sense of celebration. Significant glazing shows that the Church is always ‘open’ and visible. Inside, parishioners assemble in close proximity to the liturgy. The curved pews on the sloped floor provide a bowl of seats, bringing the assembly together with light and natural acoustics. The hard coffered ceiling above absorpent walls, allows a professional cantor to sing unaided and for the voice of the assembly to be heard in hymn and speech. The neutral color pallete throughout the Worship Space and Narthex allows the gathered assembly to be the color of the space.
2014 Faith & Form / IFRAA International Awards Program for Religious Art and Architecture
•
Religious Architecture - Renovation
•
Design Award
