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:
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!)
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!
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!
This was a loovely blog post
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