Wednesday, October 05, 2011

An Architectural Quiz

This quiz has only one question, and it is geared towards my American friends.  Here we go...

What is the current utilization for this building?


Your first impulse was to declare it a church, am I right? (If it wasn't, I'd love to hear the alternatives).  I am sure you have guessed by now that this is a trick question.  So I'll go ahead with the correct answer...

Nightclub. 

Yes, this former house of worship is now a student nightclub called Halo.  Is the name appropriate, ironic, or a bizarre combination of the two?  I can't decide.  I never went to Halo, but I always wanted to get a glimpse of its interior.  Growing up in the Southwestern United States, the concept of a church building being employed for anything other than religious services is a strange one for me.  I suppose it shouldn't be, because the churches I grew up attending featured, in addition to the traditional chapel, gyms for the odd game of basketball or volleyball.  Go figure.  

One sleepless night I watched a documentary in which a couple were renovating a Victorian church located on its own tiny island in Bristol into a three-bedroom home.  By the show's conclusion I could see how they had transformed it into a cosy, habitable space.  Yet I still have a difficult time imagining cooking my lunch beneath stained-glass windows or having a cemetery for a yard/garden.  Could you ever see yourself living in a church?

4 comments:

PuppyLovePrincess said...

i love how people are turning old spaces into new, creative spaces. and i think the energy of a church could potentially be really wonderful. at least comparatively to other places. in the town i grew up in, our office depot used to be a funeral home (gwa!)

Brooke said...

I think living in a church would actually be really interesting. There is an old church in Payson that my dad wants to buy and turn into an art gallery/studio!

Diana said...

I think I, too, would really love it once I grew accustomed to the idea. Living in such a beautiful architectural space would be so inspiring.

@Brooke: If your dad converts that church into a studio, you should post pics on your blog. I would love to see them!

Clare B said...

This was a loovely blog post