36 DIGS.NET
| 3.5.2021
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P R O F I L E | G E T H S E M A N E L U T H E R A N C H U R C H
NATURAL LIGHT IS A PROTAGONIST OF GETHSEMANE
LUTHERAN CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE, A PROJECT
MARKED BY WALLS OF COLORED GLASS THAT MAKE THE
SPACE FEEL, IN BOTH FUNCTION AND FEEL, EVEN MORE
SCARED. THE MIX OF COLOR AND PRISM-LIKE LIGHT EVOKE
A CONTEMPORARY EXPRESSION OF TRADITIONAL STAINED
GLASS SYNONYMOUS WITH SPIRITUAL SPACE.
PHOTOS:
COURTESY
OF
BENJAMIN
BENSCHNEIDER
Color in Context
Designed as a beacon of light by Olson Kundig,
Gethsemane Lutheran Church is a vivid reimagining
of sacred space in an urban environment.
I
n a dense neighborhood in downtown Seattle, Gethse-
mane Lutheran Church—a 62,135-square-foot sanctuary
with a mid-century facade—is ecstatic in its light and
design. Along with helming the remodel of the building's
exterior and the church's main sanctuary, prominent Pacific
Northwest design practice Olson Kundig also designed the
chapel, garden and Parish Life Center. The firm used color and
glass to communicate the church's mission while establishing
a clear identity for a building.
That color is a main protagonist of the project is a fitting
tribute to a typology known for its vivid ecclesiastical scenes
in time-honored stained glass. In this case, "The colored metal
and glass bands are intended to weave together the various
building parts—sacred spaces and church facilities, with hous-
ing and social services above—into a visual tapestry," says Jim
Olson, FAIA, principal/owner of Olson Kundig. "The concept
is a bit like a large woven basket, gathering and connecting
people together as religion often does. The wash of color
across the interior when the sun shines through the glass is a
similar effect to traditional stained glass, but much more trans-
parent and open to the city." With warm tones of the chapel's
handcrafted glass windows casting a quiet natural light onto
the street, a small meditation garden adjoins the chapel and
fellowship hall, "balancing openness with outreach," as the
practice puts it. The result is something quite vibrant for a place
we thought we knew: a modern design that breaks with tradition
while honoring it too. olsonkundig.com
