FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST, SCIENTIST

WASHINGTON, DC

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The First Church of Christ, Scientist, located at the north end of the 16th Street façade, is articulated as a faceted glass, crystalline structure set in the middle of the block. The interior of the church continues the transparency of the exterior, bringing life and activity into the space and engaging a welcoming and open presence. Transparency not only brings light into the church, but also connects the interior spaces and structures, activating vertical and horizontal connections.
 

The design elements defining the interior spaces have dual functions, highlighting the transparencies, while at the same time unifying all three floors and a variety of program spaces. Ceiling elements turn into wall accents, travel vertically and integrate separate stories, reinforcing the vertical organization of the spaces and transforming the horizontality of the shell.