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FIRST CHRISTIAN
CHURCH 2004 (1950/1971) |
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Set of 37
photographs. In 1949, Frank Lloyd Wright was
commissioned by Peyton Canary, the President of Southwest
Christian Seminary in Glendale, AZ, to design the buildings
for their 80 acre campus. Dr. Canary cofounded the Seminary
in 1947. The campus was to include the administrative
buildings, seminar rooms and library, a Greek theater,
faculty housing and a chapel. Drawings were completed in
1950 but shelved after the Seminary closed in 1963.
Rev. William Speas Boice was four years old
when his family moved from Idaho to Phoenix. He graduated
from high school there and received his Chaplain
Certification from Harvard University. After served during
WWII he became the founding minister of the First Christian
Church in Phoenix in 1952.
As a minister, Rev. Boice developed a
relationship with the Seminary and their president Peyton
Carney. Boice was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity
Degree from Southwest Christian Seminary. Because of the
association that developed between the two, from the
inception Boice had been aware of the plans the Seminary had for their new
campus.
After the Seminary closed, Boice convinced
his congregation to approach the Frank Lloyd Wright
Foundation, and they acquired the chapel plans for their
churches sanctuary. With the assistance of the Taliesin
Associated Architects, under the direction of
William Wesley Peters, working
plans were generated. Ground was |
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broken in 1971, and the
church was completed in 1972.
Twenty tons of native Arizona stone, collected from the
600 acres desert surrounding Taliesin West, were utilized for
phase one, the construction of the Church building.
Phase two, the free-standing bell tower,
constructed of steel, stone and concrete, was built and
dedicated in 1978. According to Charles
Montooth "The $225,000 tower of precast concrete panels
is topped with a four-ton gold cross lit at night from
within the tower. An eighteen foot high pedestal of native
Arizona stone and patterned concrete supports the precast
panels." Frank Lloyd Wright
Newsletter, September-October 1978, p.1. The tower
included a three bell carillon.
Phase three, the completion of the North
end of Wright's master plan began in 1978. The $1,041,000
addition included classrooms, administrative offices and the
"Lyceum" on the upper level. Project architect for the final
phase was Aubrey Banks, Taliesin Associated Architects.
The building, which has become a local
landmark, has been called "one of the 10 best church
buildings ever built in America" by the Church Architects
Guild of America. Following Wright’s original plans, the
First Christian Church of Phoenix was awarded the red
signature tile.
This set of 37 images was photograph on
April 26, 2004 by Douglas M. Steiner. |
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n
Elevation of the
Chapel ... Tower ... Administration Building ... Lookout
Tower ... Auditorium ... Library.
Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix, Arizona. Frank Lloyd
Wright, Architect.
Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. |
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Detail: Elevation of the
Chapel, Tower, Administration Building, Lookout Tower and
Auditorium. Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix, Arizona.
Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. |
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Detail: Elevation of the
Chapel and Tower. Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix,
Arizona. Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. |
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Detail: Elevation of the
Administration Building, Lookout Tower and Auditorium.
Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix, Arizona. Courtesy of
the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. |
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Aerial view of the Chapel,
Tower, Administration Building, Lookout Tower, Auditorium
and Library. Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix, Arizona.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect. Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd
Wright Foundation. |
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Floor Plan 1971.
Courtesy of the First Christian Church, adapted and
copyrighted by Douglas M. Steiner 2014. |
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| Aerial
view of First Christian Church, Courtesy of Google Maps
2014. |
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| First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971) circa 1977-78. Booklet
produced by the church. Photographed prior to phase two and
three, bell tower and additional offices and classrooms. |
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| First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Northeast. The Bell Tower, built in 1978 as Frank Lloyd
Wright designed it, is in the foreground. The Sanctuary is
on the left, class rooms and administration offices, in the
center and on the right. The "Lyceum" is on the North end
(right) on the upper level. The North end was added in 1979
completing Wrights original design. The roof rises upward
and seems to float above glass windows. Note: we captured
this image from the internet because it is the closest
photographs that depicts the church as Wright illustrated
it. Photographed on September 22, 2011, Courtesy of
cygnusloop99, Panorama. |
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| Note:
Please overlook the lack of quality in these images. Digital
cameras were in their infancy in 2004. |
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| 1) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Southwest. Main entrance is to the left, arbor is to the
right. Wright originally designed the roof in copper, but
due to costs, the roof was finished in pale blue, simulating
oxidized copper. The sawtooth clerestory windows rise from
the ridge and form the spire which reaches heavenly. The
roof and spire rise 77 feet high. The clerestory windows and
spire are inset with colored art glass. The top of the bell
tower can be seen in the background. (ST#2004.38.0714-1) |
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| 2) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Southwest. Roof detail. Wright originally designed the roof
in copper, but due to costs, the roof was finished in pale
blue, simulating oxidized copper. The sawtooth clerestory
windows rise from the ridge and form the spire which reaches
heavenly. The clerestory windows and spire are inset with
colored art glass. The top of the bell tower can be seen in
the background. (ST#2004.38.0714-2) |
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| 3) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Southwest. Southwest corner of the sanctuary. Evident in
every aspect of the design, Frank Lloyd Wright wove the
triangle, symbolic of the Christian Trinity, throughout the
whole design. Twenty columns surround the sanctuary, with a
total of 30 when you include the Arbor. (ST#2004.38.0714-3) |
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| 4) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the columns
that surround the sanctuary. (ST#2004.38.0714-4) |
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| 5) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the overhead
walkway edge. (ST#2004.38.0714-5) |
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| 6) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the railing.
(ST#2004.38.0714-6) |
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| 7) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of Southwest
arbor column. (ST#2004.38.0714-7) |
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| 8) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Twenty columns
surround sanctuary and support the roof. The edge of the
glass windows is embedded in the concrete column above and
below. Triangular plant beds are cut into the concrete
sidewalk. (ST#2004.38.0714-8) |
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| 9) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the
sanctuary column. The edge of the glass windows is embedded
in the concrete column. (ST#2004.38.0714-9) |
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| 10) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The design of the roof
fascia repeats the triangle detail. (ST#2004.38.0714-10) |
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| 11)
First Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
South. The roof rises upward and seems to float above glass
windows. The front point of the roof cantilevers out
approximately 35 feet. The sawtooth clerestory windows rise
from the ridge and form the spire which reaches heavenly.
The clerestory windows and spire are inset with colored art
glass. Wright originally designed the roof in copper, but
due to costs, the roof was finished in pale blue, simulating
oxidized copper. The arbor is seen on the left and wright.
The Bell Tower, built in 1978 is on the far right.
(ST#2004.38.0714-11) |
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| 12)
First Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
South. The roof rises upward and seems to float above glass
windows. The front point of the roof cantilevers out
approximately 35 feet. The sawtooth clerestory windows rise
from the ridge and form the spire which reaches heavenly.
The clerestory windows and spire are inset with colored art
glass. Wright originally designed the roof in copper, but
due to costs, the roof was finished in pale blue, simulating
oxidized copper. The arbor is seen on the left and right.
The Bell Tower, built in 1978 is on the far right.
(ST#2004.38.0714-12) |
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| 13) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the South.
Roof detail. Wright originally designed the roof in copper,
but due to costs, the roof was finished in pale blue,
simulating oxidized copper. The sawtooth clerestory windows
rise from the ridge and form the spire which reaches
heavenly. The clerestory windows and spire are inset with
colored art glass. (ST#2004.38.0714-13) |
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| 14) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Northeast. The roof rises upward and seems to float above
glass windows. The sawtooth clerestory windows rise from the
ridge and form the spire which reaches heavenly. The
clerestory windows and spire are inset with colored art
glass. (ST#2004.38.0714-14) |
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| 15) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Northeast. Twenty columns surround the sanctuary, with a
total of 30 when you include the Arbor. (ST#2004.38.0714-15) |
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| 16) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the columns
that surround the sanctuary. (ST#2004.38.0714-16) |
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| 17) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the East.
Class rooms and administration offices. The "Lyceum" is on
the North end (right) on the upper level. The North end was
added in 1979 completing Wrights original design. The roof
rises upward and seems to float above glass windows.
(ST#2004.38.0714-17) |
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| 18) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The edge of the glass
window is embedded in the concrete wall. Twenty tons of
stone, collected from the 600 acre desert surrounding
Taliesin West, were utilized for the construction of the
Church. Stones were placed inside the forms, concrete poured
over the rocks forming naturally decorative walls, much like
the walls at Taliesin West. Triangular plant beds are cut
into the concrete sidewalk. (ST#2004.38.0714-18) |
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| 19) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Exterior walls of the
Lyceum. Stones were placed inside the forms, concrete poured
over the rocks forming naturally decorative walls. Roof
fascia repeats the triangle motif, creating four triangles
per section. The Lyceum was added in 1979 completing Wrights
original design. (ST#2004.38.0714-19) |
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| 20) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The Lyceum’s roof
rises upward and seems to float above glass windows.
(ST#2004.38.0714-17) |
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| 21) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Northeast. The balcony on the north end of the building
cantilevers outward toward the Northwest. The exterior walls
of the balcony match the building. Stones were placed inside
the forms, concrete poured over the rocks forming naturally
decorative walls. (ST#2004.38.0714-21) |
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| 22) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the
Northwest. Stairs lead to the second level and the class
rooms and administration offices. The wall at the top of the
stairs forms a triangle. A balcony runs the length of the
upper level. The roof rises upward. The sawtooth clerestory
windows rise from the ridge and form the spire which reaches
heavenly. The clerestory windows and spire are inset with
colored art glass. Wright originally designed the roof in
copper, but due to costs, the roof was finished in pale
blue, simulating oxidized copper. (ST#2004.38.0714-22) |
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| 23) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The shelf appears to
lack visible supports. Concrete wall in the Narthex (the
antechamber, or distinct area at the western entrance of
some early Christian churches). Stones were placed inside
the forms for the walls and ceilings of the Narthex.
Concrete was poured over the rocks forming naturally
decorative walls and ceiling. The sanctuary can be seen in
the background on the left. (ST#2004.38.0714-23) |
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| 24) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The entrance to to the
left. Detail of the decoratively patterned column. The table
is most likely designed by either Frank Lloyd Wright or
adapted by the Taliesin Architects. From the Narthex, as you
walk toward the sanctuary, thin strips of vertical blue
glass are inset between vertical sections of concrete.
(ST#2004.38.0714-24) |
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| 25) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Evident in every
aspect of the design, Frank Lloyd Wright wove the triangle,
symbolic of the Christian Trinity, throughout the whole
design. Twenty columns surround sanctuary and support the
roof, and seems to float above the sanctuary, with a total
of 30 when you include the Arbor. The ceiling is gold,
Carpets and upholstery are blue. (ST#2004.38.0714-25) |
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| 26) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the columns
that surround the sanctuary. (ST#2004.38.0714-26) |
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| 27) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Detail of the back of
the sanctuary. (ST#2004.38.0714-27) |
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| 28) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). The sawtooth
clerestory windows rise from the ridge and form the spire
which reaches heavenly. The clerestory windows and spire are
inset with colored art glass, glass imported from France,
Belgium, and Italy and assembled in Tempe.
(ST#2004.38.0714-28) |
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| 29) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). Viewed from the center
of the sanctuary looking straight up. The clerestory windows
and spire are inset with colored art glass. The center
diamond shaped art glass is the spire. (ST#2004.38.0714-29) |
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| 30) First
Christian Church, Phoenix, AZ (1971). With the assistance of
the Taliesin Associated Architects, under the direction of
William Wesley Peters, working plans were generated from the
original unused 1950 Seminary plans. Ground was broken in
1971, and the church was completed in 1972. Following
Wright’s original plans, the First Christian Church of
Phoenix was awarded the red signature tile.
(ST#2004.38.0714-30) |
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| 31) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). Viewed from
the Southeast. The church is on the left. The free-standing
bell tower was built and dedicated in 1978. 120 feet tall,
constructed of steel, stone and concrete, it is topped with
three bells and a 22-foot, gold cross. Stones were placed
inside the forms, concrete poured over the rocks forming
naturally decorative walls, much like the walls at Taliesin
West. Seven sections decrease in size as they reach the bell
tower. Constructed in panels, the four-sided tower appears
triangular is shape. (ST#2004.38.0714-31) |
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| 32) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). 120 feet
tall, constructed of steel, stone and concrete, it is topped
with three bells and a 22-foot, gold cross. Stones were
placed inside the forms, concrete poured over the rocks
forming naturally decorative walls, much like the walls at
Taliesin West. (ST#2004.38.0714-32) |
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| 33) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). 120 feet
tall, constructed of steel, stone and concrete, it is topped
with three bells and a 22-foot, gold cross. Stones were
placed inside the forms, concrete poured over the rocks
forming naturally decorative walls, much like the walls at
Taliesin West. (ST#2004.38.0714-33) |
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| 34) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). Viewed from
the base looking toward the top. It is topped with three
bells and a 22-foot, gold cross. (ST#2004.38.0714-34) |
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| 35) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). Viewed from
the Northwest. The church is on the right. The seven
sections that decrease in size as they reach the bell tower,
are smooth with decorative triangles. The three bells are
hidden from this side. (ST#2004.38.0714-35) |
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| 36) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). Detail of
seven sections. They decrease in size as they reach the bell
tower and are smooth with decorative triangles. The three
bells are hidden from this side. (ST#2004.38.0714-36) |
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| 37) First
Christian Church Bell Tower, Phoenix, AZ (1978). Bell Tower,
Erected to the glory of God, and honoring William A. "Doc"
Boice and Geneva Boice. Given by Benjamin F. And Martha
Younker Family. 1978. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
(ST#2004.38.0714-37) |
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| Text
and photographs copyright 2014, Douglas M. Steiner |
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Date:
1972
Title: First Christian Church
(Soft Cover) (Published by Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation,
Scottsdale, Arizona)
Author: Boice, William S.
Description: Booklet describing the
First Christian Church, Phoenix, Arizona. Includes a history of
the church and the design. Frank Lloyd Wright was commissioned
by Peyton Canary, the President of Southwest Christian Seminary
in Glendale, AZ, to design the buildings for their 80 acre
campus. Dr. Canary cofounded the Seminary in 1947. The campus
was to include the administrative buildings, seminar rooms and
library, a Greek theater, faculty housing and a chapel. Drawings
were completed in 1950 but shelved after the Seminary closed in
1963. After the Seminary closed, Boice convinced his
congregation to approach the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and
they acquired the chapel plans for their churches sanctuary.
With the assistance of the Taliesin Associated Architects, under
the direction of William Wesley Peters, working plans were
generated. Ground was broken in 1971, and the church was
completed in 1972. Twenty tons of native Arizona stone,
collected from the 600 acres desert surrounding Taliesin West,
were utilized for phase one, the construction of the Church
building. Foundation personnel included architectural
supervision -- John Amarantides and Steven Nemtin; structural
design – Kamal Amin. Includes 16 photographs and illustrations
of the First Christian Church. (First Edition)
Size:
10 x 8
Pages: Pp 16
S#:
1909.53.1019 |
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Date: 1978
Title:
Frank Lloyd Wright Newsletter - V1 #5 - September-October 1978
(Published by the Frank Lloyd Wright Association)
Author: Editor: Heinz,
Thomas A.; 1) Montooth, Charles 2) Puma, Jerome
3 & 4) Heinz, Thomas A.
Description:
Masthead design by E. Fay Jones. 1) Wright design takes
shape in Arizona. 2) Larkin Building Demolition. 3)
The Larkin Building Mechanical System Re-Evaluated. 4) The
Larkin Building Fence Pier. 5) Public Buildings in the
West & SW. 6) Properties Available. Original List Price
$2.50.
Size:
8.5 x 11
Pages: Pp 12
ST#: 1978.19.0105 |
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THE SEMINARY NEWS |
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Date:
1950
Title:
The Seminary News - April 1950 (Published six times a year by
The Southwest Christian Seminary, Phoenix, AZ)
Author:
Canary, Peyton H. Jr.
Description:
Southwest Christian Seminary
(Project). "Our Architect. Dr. Frank Lloyd Wright. The
patrician pictured above is known and admired in every nation
under heaven as the greatest architect in the world has ever
known. More than a quarter of a century ago, this scribe fell in
love with the buildings, the artistic ideals, with the genius
that is Frank Lloyd Wright. I read everything he had in print,
then, and ever since have followed his work with mounting joy
and wonder... And it may be that even now God is likewise
touching the hearts of some who love Wright’s kind of
architecture and our kind of education. If so, we may have soon
a plant of exquisite loveliness which will stand and serve for a
thousand years to the glory of God and to the eternal credit of
the good men and women who made it possible. So may it be!"
Includes one portrait
of Frank Lloyd Wright by Carlyle Studios, New York. Gift from
Kathryn Smith.
Size:
9 x 12
Pages: Pp 1-2
S#:
0831.74.0319 |
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