Wheaton Bible Church Construction
Last Sunday I went to the new campus of Wheaton Bible Church because they opened it up for tours and such. It’s not done or anything but they wanted to give the congregation a chance to see how things are coming along. I wanted to see where all of the church’s money has been going for a few years now.
Here are some of the pictures that I took. Some of them are blurry because it was still a little dark and dusty inside.
I have to admit, the new building surprised me. I sort of expected the type of building that I described in my posts on megachurch architecture but that wasn’t what it was at all. Given the exterior is not spectacular but it is definitely interesting and you can actually tell that it is a church unlike Willow Creek.
The whole scale of the projet is unbelievable. I’m still not sure that I am 100% comfortable with the size of Wheaton Bible as a church compared to the amount of community that I see there, however, the new building seems to have taken this into account with plenty of spaces just to be with people. There is a welcome center for visitors along with spaces for adults to hold their community groups. Unlike many megachurches, the new building doesn’t aim to get you in and out.
Another thing that I like about the design is that it seems integrated into the landscape. They decided to leave many of the trees that were there along with planting new ones in the parking area in order to soften it up a bit. There is a a stream on the property and a pond that the administration is hoping to use for outdoor baptisms and ceremonies. I like this because the church isn’t shutting itself off from the area around it but rather welcoming it in a way that many churches can’t or don’t want to do.
The Hispanic congregation will now have it’s own space that Ecclesia will use at night instead of both groups using the gym like it is at our current building. There are also spaces dedicated to prayer and other activities which will be a nice thing to have for different gatherings. The administration also dedicated a large portion of the new building to children, with classrooms and play areas.
I commend the efforts of the church staff and architecture firm for designing and implementing a practical and aesthetically pleasing structure.
March 20 2008 04:04 pm | Architecture and Church and Photos
Wheaton Bible Church Construction on 20 Mar 2008 at 4:36 pm #
[...] QB wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptLast Sunday I went to the new campus of Wheaton Bible Church because they opened it up for tours and such. It’s not done or anything but they wanted to give the congregation a chance to see how things are coming along. … [...]
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MCR on 13 May 2008 at 3:28 pm #
I have to disagree with you regarding the design being integrated into the landscape. I live a mile or two away from this megachurch and can see it on the horizon from my street. It’s the only building visible and stands out amongst all the trees. It’s offensive. You can also see it for miles down County Farm Rd. They ruined my beautiful view. It was purposely built at a high elevation for this reason and is quite vulgar.
Brett on 13 May 2008 at 8:48 pm #
Yes, they did purposely build it at a high elevation so that it would be seen. Integrating something into the landscape does not mean hiding it. Also, they have not planted the trees in the beds that occupy the parking lot. Once these grow in it should have a great effect.
I’m sorry that my church offends you but I do want to ask, would you have preferred that they clear-cut and pave the lot instead of leaving it intact and building in an area that was already open?
Gym Movies on 08 Jun 2008 at 12:52 pm #
Hi there, I fell lucky that I located this post while browsing for gym movies. I am with you on the topic of Wheaton Bible Church Construction. Ironically, I was just putting a lot of thought into this last Sunday.
Tony on 20 Jun 2008 at 7:49 pm #
I Love it!,I love being able to see it from a far down County Farm Rd.
Is it a “Mega Church” ? I don’t think so…
Can’t wait to check it out!