
Panorama photo of North Christian Church, by Thomas Schiff
COLUMBUS, INDIANA ARCHITECTURE – CHURCHES


First Christian Church, Eliel Saarinen, 1942
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The First Christian Church was designed by architect Eliel Saarinen, father of Eero Saarinen. Completed in 1942, it was the first contemporary building in Columbus and one of the first churches of contemporary architecture in the United States. The geometric design is one of direct simplicity. A large stone cross accents the limestone façade. To the west stands the 166-foot high campanile, or free-standing bell tower. The materials, exterior and interior, are mostly buff brick and limestone.
In a 1982 interview in Columbus, architect Charles Bassett said, “It stands, from my point of view, still the nicest building in town. It has a splendid scale and detail and a surprising austerity when you go inside.” (Bartholomew County Library Architectural Archives)
Related...
- Learn more about First Christian Church
- Featured in Wired magazine’s list of most epic churches
- See more photos of Eliel Saarinen’s church
- One of seven national historic landmarks
- View a clip about First Christian Church from the PBS show American Masters (1:02)
- Eliel Saarinen’s grandson and filmmaker Eric Saarinen came to Columbus for his PBS documentary on his father
- Read a blog post about The Church of the Clocked Screws
North Christian Church, Eero Saarinen, 1964
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850 Tipton Lane, Columbus
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Eero Saarinen designed North Christian Church, which was completed in 1964. This is the last building designed by Eero Saarinen before his untimely death on September 1, 1961. Roche Dinkeloo & Associates, the successor architectural firm, completed the building. The sloping roof of this six-sided building blends with the landscaped earth-mound which surrounds it. This low line accentuates the slender 192-foot spire, topped with a gold-leaf cross, which gives its distinctive design. Dan Kiley landscaped the multi-acre site, including the parking lot with parking rooms.
In April 1961, Saarinen wrote, “We have finally to solve this church so that it can become a great building. I feel I have this obligation to the congregation, and as an architect, I have that obligation to my profession and my ideals. I want to solve it so that as an architect when I face St. Peter I am able to say that out of the buildings I did during my lifetime, one of the best was this little church, because it has in it a real spirit that speaks forth to all Christians as a witness to their faith.”
Related...
- See a detailed feature page on North Christian Church
- See more photos of Saarinen’s Columbus work on Pinterest
- Featured in Wired magazine’s list of most epic churches
- Miller House and Garden
- Irwin Conference Center
First Baptist Church, Harry Weese, 1965
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3300 Fairlawn Dr, Columbus
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First Baptist Church is positioned on the brow of a gently sloping knoll. This elevation, combined with its peaked non-dimensional bell tower, emphasizes the building’s function as a place of worship.
The steep roof, twice as high as the supporting brick walls, is covered with hand-laid slate. The highlight of the interior design is a wall of pierced brick at the front of the chancel.
The predominant silhouette of the two-story building on the hill is created by two steeply pitched A-frame slate roofs, one smaller than the other. Both roofs at one end have a brick wall that extends above the roof, one with a singular round opening for a bell, which designates this as a place of worship.
The main congregational entry is approached by a drive up the hill to a T-shaped opening in a brick wall across a bridge and over a moat-like space that brings light to the lower level. The narthex is a low ceiling space which creates a sense of humility before ascending stairs to the dramatic sanctuary.
The sanctuary is essentially windowless except for the vertical skylights at the front, which highlight a “pierced” brick wall that screens the choir, organ and baptistry behind and narrow glazed openings between the roof overhang and the brick walls.
A centrally suspended wood cross provides a focal point in the random pattern of the brick wall.
St. Peter's Lutheran, Gunnar Birkerts, 1988
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St. Peter’s Lutheran Church lifts itself among the surrounding spires with its 186-foot copper-clad spire. The structure is reinforced concrete, clad in brick and copper. The interior of the sanctuary is an interesting blend of white flat and curved surfaces. Artificial and natural lighting, maple furniture, limestone and maple liturgical furnishings and a variety of textures add to the interest.
Related...
- See Gunnar Birkerts speak at the AIA Committee on Design conference in Columbus, Indiana
- Read about Gunnar Birkert in The New York Times and Curbed.com
First Christian Church, Eliel Saarinen, 1942
St. Peter's Lutheran, Gunnar Birkerts, 1988
Locations of First Christian and St. Peter’s
North Christian Church, Eero Saarinen, 1964
First Baptist Church, Harry Weese, 1965
Locations of North Christian and First Baptist