Good day, dear Hivers,
Today we visited The Wayfarers Chapel, this unique all-glass church surrounded by towering redwoods in southern California, a hidden gem that we “discovered a few years back while driving along the coast. Located in Rancho Palos Verdes, this chapel is also called The Glass Church and it sits on cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island. It is called a marvel of organic architecture.
This Glass Church belongs to the ecumenical Swedenborgian Church of North America, which was founded by Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish pluralistic-Christian theologian. It was designed by architect Lloyd Wright, son of the American pioneering architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built in 1951 and it was dedicated to wayfarers coursing along the Catalina channel; it’s a place of worship that is open to everyone passing by.
Construction of the chapel started in 1949; Greek letters alpha and omega were carved in the cornerstone. (Quoted from the Christian Bible Book of Revelation 1:8; 22:13,“ I am the Alpha and the Omega,.”..” the beginning and the end”)
The structure and general shape of the chapel are simple - the frame is made of wood. But the sides and ceiling are made of prisms of glass, the gold diamond-shaped panels at thirty, sixty-degree angles, symbolizing geometric leaf patterns.
Lloyd Wright veered away from masonry, which was traditionally used in religious architecture at the time. In his words, he wanted the effect of the “surrounding landscape to define the enclosed sacred place.” He chose redwoods for his landscape, an inspiration he got from visiting these “majestic cathedral-like trees” in northern California. Fifty years after the trees were planted, they now tower above the church and completely envelope it. When one steps inside the church on a sunny day, one can clearly see the evergreen trees and the heavenly blue sky.
On the altar of the chapel stands a gold cross and the Bible. The steps leading to the altar show inscriptions of parts of The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven...’”
At the back of the chapel stands a 60-ft tower also called the Hallelujah tower -made of white brick and topped with a gold cross that is illuminated by a concealed skylight. The tower is anchored deep into the hillside two full stories into the ground; it also has a carillon, a set of 16 bells.
Inside the church is a baptismal font that resembles a bubbling spring; outside is a memorial fountain in the reflection pool; and a garden planted with azaleas, irises, and ferns, that reflect the floor of a redwood forest.
The Wayfarers Chapel would become one of the forerunners of great glass religious structures to be built in later years. Foremost among these is the Christ Cathedral, formerly known as the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County. We have earlier blogged about this majestic cathedral. Source Since 2005, the Wayfarers Chapel has been listed in the National Historic Places of the United States.
Today, this Glass Church is a popular venue for weddings. It has seats that can accommodate 100 people. Because of its charm and intimate setting, we also briefly considered this church as a venue for our renewal of vows on our 25th wedding anniversary. In the end, we opted for the serenity of our own parish church the Blessed Sacrament, and officiated by our favorite pastor, Father Angelos Sebastian.
wow! what a lovely church. The design is really very unique you can really feel the solemnity in the interiors, you feel one with nature because the walls are glass and see through maybe this is the vibe that the creator wants the parishioners to feel. You can see the materials will really stand the test of time. The grounds also adds beauty to the structure. You can meditate even under those trees and green carpeted lawn.
Really awesome! Thank you for sharing this magnificent structure to us.
Yes, the surroundings encompass the beauty of nature. Thank you for appreciating.
Wow! Places like these exists in the world and we are so unaware of such beauty . Thanks friend @sisterhood2 for introducing this to us.
The virtual tour was super interesting.
Hi @praditya,
We also discovered it lately on our drive around Southern California. We just wanted to share with fellow hivers the beauty of the chapel surrounded by nature.
Oh my, this is the first time that I have seen this type of church with a transparent view of the surrounding. It must have been a great experience attending a mass on it. Have a nice day and Happy New Year!
Yes, it is something different. Happy New Year too @afterglow!
Ganda naman dito sarap jan mgrelax and magmeditate,
Very relaxing indeed with the view of the trees and the calm ocean.
Amazing location! Where else could the architect have this chapel constructed at other than fronting the water. Beautifully structured architecture, simple and neat.
Simple and even made more beautiful by the surrounding trees and ocean.
Beautiful architectural design. And a unique one. I bet this place is also peaceful. So suiting for meditation and reflection.
Yes, as it is surrounded by nature....the trees and the ocean.
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