Just_A_Guy Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 Maybe you all have seen this before, but I just came across this website that photographically documents some of the more interesting meetinghouses built by the LDS Church. Quote
maiku Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 awesome link, thanks! This raises a question, how are the blueprints determined for a building? I mean, what determines if a meetinghouse gets a unique structure or a cookie-cutter one? Quote
Guest tbaird22 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 this makes me desire a prettier chapel.. haha Quote
slamjet Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 As usual, most all the cool chapels are in Utah Quote
Jenamarie Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 (edited) awesome link, thanks!This raises a question, how are the blueprints determined for a building? I mean, what determines if a meetinghouse gets a unique structure or a cookie-cutter one?From reading some of the descriptions on the website, it seems the non-cookie-cutter ones are built in historic areas where all new construction is required by law to "blend in" (i.e. don't look too modern) with the existing buildings.I think my parents' ward building in CA is actually really nice, even with being a "cookie cutter" building. The exterior is stucco, but instead of being the typical earth-tone color, it's a pale cream color, with pink borders around the windows and entrances (that sounds garish, but it's a gorgeous shade of pink!). The interior carpet is a purplish-burgandy color, and there's pinkish marble tile on the wall behind the pulpit. The sound system is set up to be one long speaker going along the center of the chapel ceiling, and the mesh covering is that same purplish-pink color, while the walls are cream. All of the wood trim is cherry, and it just looks so gorgeous. :)(my only complaint is the front of the chapel has a very awkward layout, with the organ being located *right behind* the Bishopric's seats, but still turned sideways, and the piano is on the opposite side, and there are some individual seats and benches around them. Makes it very difficult to seat the Primary kids during the program. ) Edited July 20, 2011 by Jenamarie Quote
mightynancy Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 Tee hee - that's my cousin's site. Isn't he 31 flavors of awesomesauce? Quote
Jenamarie Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 As usual, most all the cool chapels are in Utah Actually, the original LDS chapel in my town here in WA is a really nice looking brick structure that was built on land next to a man-made lake that's at the heart of the town. It's now an office building for our local Catholic hospital, so I've never been inside it, but I'm glad that it's been given the marker of "historical building" so that it, hopefully, won't ever be torn down. It still has that distinctive LDS "flavor" to it though. I remember seeing it for the first time and telling my husband "Wow, that looks like it could be an LDS chapel!" He then filled me in on it's history. Quote
slamjet Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 Actually, the original LDS chapel in my town here in WA is a really nice looking brick structure that was built on land next to a man-made lake that's at the heart of the town. It's now an office building for our local Catholic hospital, so I've never been inside it, but I'm glad that it's been given the marker of "historical building" so that it, hopefully, won't ever be torn down. It still has that distinctive LDS "flavor" to it though. I remember seeing it for the first time and telling my husband "Wow, that looks like it could be an LDS chapel!" He then filled me in on it's history. Dude, don't mess up my Utah hate'n In any case, yea, the chapel of my youth was one build in 1927. Beautiful and full of history. But it was a lot of $$$ to bring it up to code if we wanted to do any additions (only had 10 classrooms). So they tore it down and built what amounts to a cheese-box, warehouse looking thing. And the construction was shoddy. It was the last chapel build by this contractor because they messed up on a couple of other chapel constructions also. Quote
Guest tbaird22 Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 As usual, most all the cool chapels are in Utah probably to make up for the lack of cool saints in utah... Quote
slamjet Posted July 20, 2011 Report Posted July 20, 2011 probably to make up for the lack of cool saints in utah...bada-BOOM! Quote
slamjet Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 Tee hee - that's my cousin's site. Isn't he 31 flavors of awesomesauce?More like 31 flavors of nerd. Quote
maiku Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 it does seem like most of the unique chapels were old ones, and many of those were sold a while back. On the website, there was a meetinghouse or two with a courtyard which would be PERFECT for those members who want to chat without disturbing meetings taking place inside (a problem in our small meetinghouse). I know that in Peru there are a lot of chapels like that. Anyone here attend a unique meetinghouse? Quote
pam Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 I thought the ward building I was assigned to in Hawaii was rather unusual. Everything was in separate buildings. Chapel was one building..RS room another building etc. etc..yet all connected by a central courtyard. Quote
Jenamarie Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 I thought the ward building I was assigned to in Hawaii was rather unusual. Everything was in separate buildings. Chapel was one building..RS room another building etc. etc..yet all connected by a central courtyard.The ward building my family went to when I was a toddler was like that. Even the library was set up "consession stand" style, where they pulled up half of one of the walls to open it up to the outside so people could check out Bibles and such.ETA: This was in San Jose, CA Quote
bytebear Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 There is an old chapel in Park City that is now a bed and breakfast. They use the baptismal font as a hot tub. Quote
dahlia Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 I had no idea LDS chapels could look like that. Ours is so plain and generic. I miss some nice religious architecture and decor; some colors here, some statues there, a few candles over there... Quote
mightynancy Posted July 21, 2011 Report Posted July 21, 2011 More like 31 flavors of nerd. You know it! That's part of the awesome. Quote
mrmarklin Posted July 22, 2011 Report Posted July 22, 2011 Current LDS architecture is an oxymoron. Clearly are designed for cost effectiveness, and ease of construction. I think there are only 3-4 basic plans world-wide. In Cedar City Utah there is a "rock" chapel that is now a tourist attraction. The reason most of the cool buildings are in Utah is that they were self-funded back in the day, and didn't have he heavy hand of SLC beaurocracy dictating design. They actually had architects! They uses stained glass, etc. in the designs many times depending on the affluence of the community. Quote
Just_A_Guy Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) Indeed; but the key phrase there is "depending on the affluence of the community". Now, a chapel in some backwater town in the Third World is pretty much on par with any given chapel in the US (allowing for some regional variation, of course). The joys of consecration! Economic equality tends to breed architectural homogeneity--just ask the Soviets. Incidentally, I think what the Church usually did was a "matching" system from Salt Lake. The wards weren't completely on their own, though there was definitely more local sacrifice required then than there is now. Edited July 22, 2011 by Just_A_Guy Quote
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