About Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
General Description
Gloria Dei is a three story brick church with a Swedish Art Deco style throughout. On the right side of the church stands the steeple reaching high into the sky to proudly hold up the Cross representing Jesus' crucifixion. The street level of the church consists in a hall and the parish center. Immediately upon entering the doors one turns left or right and goes immediately up the staircase on either side. At the top is the vestibule with a floor length stain glass window, the most beautiful in the church, sits. From here you walk through four glass doors into the nave of the church, ie. the main body of the church where the congregation sits. This is separated into two levels: the main level of the congregation, and the higher level of the choir loft in the back. At the front stands the alter in the part of the church called the apse, behind which stands an incredibly large mural of the Ascension of Jesus. The most prevalent ways that the art deco reveals itself is through the use of geometry and ornamentation. We will explore this more below.
Gloria Dei is a three story brick church with a Swedish Art Deco style throughout. On the right side of the church stands the steeple reaching high into the sky to proudly hold up the Cross representing Jesus' crucifixion. The street level of the church consists in a hall and the parish center. Immediately upon entering the doors one turns left or right and goes immediately up the staircase on either side. At the top is the vestibule with a floor length stain glass window, the most beautiful in the church, sits. From here you walk through four glass doors into the nave of the church, ie. the main body of the church where the congregation sits. This is separated into two levels: the main level of the congregation, and the higher level of the choir loft in the back. At the front stands the alter in the part of the church called the apse, behind which stands an incredibly large mural of the Ascension of Jesus. The most prevalent ways that the art deco reveals itself is through the use of geometry and ornamentation. We will explore this more below.
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Today
The Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church is a fully operational historic church located on Hayes Street in Providence, Rhode Island in the shadow of the Providence Place Mall. This building was built back in the 1920’s and still stands strong today, harboring more culture and energy than ever. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is set apart from many other places of worship in the Providence area due to its unique design and history. For instance, many aspects of Swedish architecture are incorporated into its design. This is something not common in the Providence area. Gloria Dei began as a Swedish immigrant church, but has since become even more diverse. This congregation includes members from over ten countries including Angola, Liberia, Tanzania, and Portugal among others. The church is also home to a wide variety of activities and programs from talent shows and bible worship to weekly celebrations. This youth driven church is currently led by its pastor Reverend Rodriguez.
http://architecturehereandthere.com/2014/03/03/eric-daum-gloria-dei-in-providence/
The Gloria Dei Evangelical Lutheran Church is a fully operational historic church located on Hayes Street in Providence, Rhode Island in the shadow of the Providence Place Mall. This building was built back in the 1920’s and still stands strong today, harboring more culture and energy than ever. Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is set apart from many other places of worship in the Providence area due to its unique design and history. For instance, many aspects of Swedish architecture are incorporated into its design. This is something not common in the Providence area. Gloria Dei began as a Swedish immigrant church, but has since become even more diverse. This congregation includes members from over ten countries including Angola, Liberia, Tanzania, and Portugal among others. The church is also home to a wide variety of activities and programs from talent shows and bible worship to weekly celebrations. This youth driven church is currently led by its pastor Reverend Rodriguez.
http://architecturehereandthere.com/2014/03/03/eric-daum-gloria-dei-in-providence/
History and Influences
The Gloria Dei Church was built by Swedish architect Martin Hedmark in 1925 to serve a predominantly Scandinavian population which was exploring life in the United States. During this time, there was a strong desire for Swedes to adjust to the ongoing rapid social change. Therefore, these Swedes had to modernize their ideas in structures such as Gloria Dei. In this church, Hedmark masterfully incorporates two areas in Early Modern architecture by creating a display of the National Romantic Movement on the exterior, while presenting Modern Classicism on the interior.
In order to fully comprehend the decisions that went into the architecture of Gloria Dei Church, it is essential to understand what was going on in the world during this time. A rapid social change in Sweden, largely due to its transformation from a rural to an industrial economy, sparked Hedmark’s ideology behind the architecture of Gloria Dei Church. This industrial movement essentially gave architects the freedom to use their creativity and move away from the norm of what all building were “supposed” to look like. For example, brick was not a common building material used in Swedish architecture. Hedmark, however, was inspired by Albert Gellerstedt, a professor at the Kungliga Tekniska, who emphasized and encouraged students to follow his concept of Material Realism. Bricks were being used more and more by architects as an embodiment of the ideas of Gellerstedt’s Material Realism. Gloria Dei’s brick exterior serves as a prime example of this transitional period in Swedish history and displays the importance and great influence of world events on the construction of buildings.
Art Deco in Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
There are many key elements of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church that indicate the influence of both Stockholm City Hall and the Art Deco style. The most noticeable similarity between Stockholm City Hall and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is the simple brick exterior that both building possess. However, in contrast to this simplicity, both buildings contain some beautifully extravagant details. The towers of Stockholm City Hall are very simple at the base, but further towards the top there is an onslaught of rich and intricate designs. This is also reflected in the towers of Gloria Dei Church where a keen eye can notice changing patterns in the brick exterior as well as small golden structures on top of the tower, including multiple crosses and even a tiny golden Viking ship. The ground level of Stockholm City Hall features an array of arched entryways which clearly influenced the grand main entrance of Gloria Dei Church. The Golden Room in Stockholm City Hall is also very reminiscent of the main room in Gloria Dei Church. Both rooms contain tall windows along the side walls and feature an extravagantly detailed mural on the focus wall.
As stated, Gloria Dei Church also contains many details that embody the Art Deco style of architecture. One example of this is the lamp posts on the interior balcony of the church. These posts appear to be very detailed due to the ornate paintings on them, but, in actuality, the design of these posts are very simple. Their structure is plain and flat except for a series of geometric shapes protruding on the surface. This idea of simplicity using geometric shapes is a key component of the Art Deco style of architecture. The pulpit in the main room of the church is another beautiful example of the Art Deco style. This pulpit appears to be very simple from a distance, however, it contains many intricate and detailed carvings. Finally, the main entrance to the church also expresses the Art Deco style. The stained glass windows above the door are very detailed and provide a stunning display of color during the day. The doorway is made even more ornate with the addition of a small golden angel resting above the door. These ornamentations are key in giving Gloria Dei its Art Deco style.
The Gloria Dei Church was built by Swedish architect Martin Hedmark in 1925 to serve a predominantly Scandinavian population which was exploring life in the United States. During this time, there was a strong desire for Swedes to adjust to the ongoing rapid social change. Therefore, these Swedes had to modernize their ideas in structures such as Gloria Dei. In this church, Hedmark masterfully incorporates two areas in Early Modern architecture by creating a display of the National Romantic Movement on the exterior, while presenting Modern Classicism on the interior.
In order to fully comprehend the decisions that went into the architecture of Gloria Dei Church, it is essential to understand what was going on in the world during this time. A rapid social change in Sweden, largely due to its transformation from a rural to an industrial economy, sparked Hedmark’s ideology behind the architecture of Gloria Dei Church. This industrial movement essentially gave architects the freedom to use their creativity and move away from the norm of what all building were “supposed” to look like. For example, brick was not a common building material used in Swedish architecture. Hedmark, however, was inspired by Albert Gellerstedt, a professor at the Kungliga Tekniska, who emphasized and encouraged students to follow his concept of Material Realism. Bricks were being used more and more by architects as an embodiment of the ideas of Gellerstedt’s Material Realism. Gloria Dei’s brick exterior serves as a prime example of this transitional period in Swedish history and displays the importance and great influence of world events on the construction of buildings.
Art Deco in Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
There are many key elements of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church that indicate the influence of both Stockholm City Hall and the Art Deco style. The most noticeable similarity between Stockholm City Hall and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church is the simple brick exterior that both building possess. However, in contrast to this simplicity, both buildings contain some beautifully extravagant details. The towers of Stockholm City Hall are very simple at the base, but further towards the top there is an onslaught of rich and intricate designs. This is also reflected in the towers of Gloria Dei Church where a keen eye can notice changing patterns in the brick exterior as well as small golden structures on top of the tower, including multiple crosses and even a tiny golden Viking ship. The ground level of Stockholm City Hall features an array of arched entryways which clearly influenced the grand main entrance of Gloria Dei Church. The Golden Room in Stockholm City Hall is also very reminiscent of the main room in Gloria Dei Church. Both rooms contain tall windows along the side walls and feature an extravagantly detailed mural on the focus wall.
As stated, Gloria Dei Church also contains many details that embody the Art Deco style of architecture. One example of this is the lamp posts on the interior balcony of the church. These posts appear to be very detailed due to the ornate paintings on them, but, in actuality, the design of these posts are very simple. Their structure is plain and flat except for a series of geometric shapes protruding on the surface. This idea of simplicity using geometric shapes is a key component of the Art Deco style of architecture. The pulpit in the main room of the church is another beautiful example of the Art Deco style. This pulpit appears to be very simple from a distance, however, it contains many intricate and detailed carvings. Finally, the main entrance to the church also expresses the Art Deco style. The stained glass windows above the door are very detailed and provide a stunning display of color during the day. The doorway is made even more ornate with the addition of a small golden angel resting above the door. These ornamentations are key in giving Gloria Dei its Art Deco style.