frank lloyd wrightchurch stained glass design

Load Another Factĭespite the austere and radical façade, Wright delivered on the minister’s request by designing a beautiful, truthful, simple and rational building. The three galleries for the congregation and an alcove for the choir in the sanctuary create a Greek cross. to be named an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unity Temple and 10 other Frank Lloyd Wright buildings are among 20 sites nominated by the U.S. This follows the Universalists’ emphasis of focusing all attention on the speaker.

Most are nearly in line with the speaker’s eye level. No seat in the sanctuary is more than 45 feet from the pulpit. But here, Wright uses smooth concrete in new ways – creating a form unlike any other faith-based or religious structure in the country. In that era, bare concrete walls were typically used for industrial buildings, such as factories or grain elevators. Building materials had to be inexpensive and as Wright said, “concrete is cheap.” The same concrete molds were used multiple times, as Wright had designed repeating walls with similar dimensions. The Unity Church minister asked for a modern but affordable worship space that would embody the principles of “unity, truth, beauty, simplicity, freedom and reason.” The budget was $45,000, a modest amount even in the early 20th century. What he would design for the congregation by 1909 was unorthodox in both form and materials. His uncle was a distinguished Unitarian minister and his mother’s family was Welsh Unitarian. The famous architect identified with Unitarianism and believed in its rational humanism. The next morning, Oak Park resident Frank Lloyd Wright offered to design a new church, now known as Unity Temple. In 1905, a lightning strike started a fire which destroyed the wood-framed Oak Park Unity Church. Unprecedented for its time and purpose, Unity Temple is a stunning masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright that was recently given new life with a $25 million restoration.

Frank lloyd wrightchurch stained glass design