The Great Canadian churches thread - Page 37

davee930 · #**721** Posted **Oct 25, 2021, 12:49 AM**

What's with all these ugly OLD churches.

Here's something to satisfy your modern church thirst.
[IMG]

53be93fd46720b31864d97c67c1cd48b_-alberta-division-no-6-calgary-west-springs-st-michael-catholic-community-403-249-0423html by davee930, on Flickr[/IMG]

The one and only St. Michaels in Calgary

megadude · #**722** Posted **Oct 25, 2021, 1:18 AM**

At least it has those two columns of faux stone!

davee930 · #**723** Posted **Oct 25, 2021, 1:21 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

At least it has those two columns of faux stone!

And the cross in the window is discrete and creative AF

megadude · #**724** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 1:31 AM**

Was in Brantford and Paris today.

Paris Presbyterian

https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/44553509561

St. Paul's United Church Paris

https://canada247.info/explore/ontar...ed_church.html

Paris Baptist Church

https://www.flickr.com/photos/57156785@N02/28134487663

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Paris

https://www.flickr.com/photos/57156785@N02/28714842776

megadude · #**725** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 1:35 AM**

Alexandra Presbyterian Church Brantford

https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/49243723733

Saint Basil Roman Catholic Church Brantford

https://canada247.info/explore/ontar...-752-0361.html

St. Andrew's United Church Brantford

https://canada247.info/explore/ontar...-752-5823.html

Brant Avenue United Church

https://www.flickr.com/photos/onasill/48004239121

Grace Anglican Church Brantford

https://diohuron.org/brant-norfolk/g...urch-brantford

Our Lady-The Assumption Parish Brantford

https://canada247.info/explore/ontar...on_parish.html

St. George Baptist Church

https://saintgeorgebaptistchurch.com/

St. George United Church

Chadillaccc · #**726** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 1:42 AM**

Knox Presbyterian in the Calgary CBD…

WhipperSnapper · #**727** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 1:43 AM**

I don't like what they did with the windows on St Andrew's. Brant is awesome. The overgrown, deteriorating condition make its even more appealing

Willmsma · #**728** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 5:06 PM**

Some photos from St. Mary's Church in Red Deer, Alberta. Designed by Douglas Cardinal in 1968, it is likely the most striking piece of architecture in my city:

Each of these were posted by the wonderful photographer Lincoln Ho on his Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/yegventures. He does a wonderful job capturing the building and - in the exterior shot - avoiding the inclusion of the parish hall, a largely insensitive addition added in, I believe, the 2000's and not designed by Cardinal.

esquire · #**729** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 5:07 PM**

Magnificent.

megadude · #**730** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 5:53 PM**

That’s pretty cool. Very unique and elegant.

rousseau · #**731** Posted **Nov 1, 2021, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willmsma

Some photos from St. Mary's Church in Red Deer, Alberta. Designed by Douglas Cardinal in 1968, it is likely the most striking piece of architecture in my city:

Churches can be great architecture, they are deeply interwoven into the historical fabric of their communities and the religion they represent has been the bedrock of the West for some 1,700 years, but every time I begin to nod my head to the encomiums about the inspirational utility of their in-group dynamics I end up being confronted by, well, this, and any vague acknowledgment I might entertain about them being fine, like just another social club, goes crashing down into the flames of the Enlightenment.

NISUS: Crucifixion?
JAILER: Hmm?
NISUS: What?
MR. CHEEKY: Eh, freedom for me. They said I hadn't done anything, so I could go free and live on an island somewhere.
NISUS: Oh. Oh, well, that's jolly good. Well, off you go, then.
MR. CHEEKY: Naa, I'm only pulling your leg. It's crucifixion, really.
NISUS: Oh, ho ho.
MR. CHEEKY: Heh heh heh hehh.
NISUS: I see. Uh, very good. Very good. Well, out of the door. One--
MR. CHEEKY: Yeah. I know the way. Out of the door.
NISUS: Line on--
MR. CHEEKY: One cross each. Line on the left.
NISUS: Line on the left.
MR. CHEEKY: Heh heh.

Willmsma · #**732** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 5:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rousseau

Churches can be great architecture, they are deeply interwoven into the historical fabric of their communities and the religion they represent has been the bedrock of the West for some 1,700 years, but every time I begin to nod my head to the encomiums about the inspirational utility of their in-group dynamics I end up being confronted by, well, this, and any vague acknowledgment I might entertain about them being fine, like just another social club, goes crashing down into the flames of the Enlightenment.

I think I take your point. Creedal statements sound like nonsense from the outside. However, from the inside they feel different. For me they tap into truths about people that go deeper than everyday preferences or a nice social club – “Hey, you like roller-derby. I like pretending myths are real!”

Maybe you’re saying the same thing, but I think many of the roots of the Enlightenment lay in Christian religious practice, particularly the patterns of thought that made it possible to imagine sources of truth outside of revelation or tradition. As Christian practice declines, I worry enlightenment values – particularly the idea that discerning objective truth is something worth trying to do – will decline as well.

Willmsma · #**733** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 5:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

That’s pretty cool. Very unique and elegant.

Cardinal's building are not always the most practical, but in my experience they're always stunning. I feel pretty lucky to have one of his best works right in our little city.

O-tacular · #**734** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 5:13 PM**

What a fantastic church from Red Deer. Never used to appreciate that Brutalist era of buildings but find them to be some of the most beautiful and transcendent places now. I love the way the light is focused on the altar and the cavernous, yet warm feeling of the interior.

esquire · #**735** Posted **Nov 5, 2021, 5:18 PM**

Cardinal's work in Red Deer reminds me a little of Église du Précieux Sang in St. Boniface, by Étienne Gaboury. It has a somewhat similar circular motif. I'm sure it's been posted in this thread before, but here's another look:

Willmsma · #**736** Posted **Nov 11, 2021, 12:35 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

What a fantastic church from Red Deer. Never used to appreciate that Brutalist era of buildings but find them to be some of the most beautiful and transcendent places now. I love the way the light is focused on the altar and the cavernous, yet warm feeling of the interior.

I believe the interior was intended to have a womb-like symbolism, both representing something carved from the earth but also with imagery/symbolism belonging to the church's namesake, St. Mary. It gets weird if you follow the symbolism too far, but I'll say attending there is a unique experience. Oddly dark, but all the more dramatic for that.

Willmsma · #**737** Posted **Nov 11, 2021, 12:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

Cardinal's work in Red Deer reminds me a little of Église du Précieux Sang in St. Boniface, by Étienne Gaboury. It has a somewhat similar circular motif. I'm sure it's been posted in this thread before, but here's another look:

Those are nice images, Esquire. I visited Winnipeg some years back and got a chance to visit the Église du Précieux Sang and it stood out to me as one of the best churches I'd visited (of those built in the last 100 years). In terms of the dramatic use of space, it definitely reminded me of St. Mary's.

ssiguy · #**738** Posted **Nov 11, 2021, 2:31 AM**

I really like those Red Deer & Winnipeg churches.

Proof that modern churches don't have to look like a Home Sense.

esquire · #**739** Posted **Nov 11, 2021, 3:07 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssiguy

I really like those Red Deer & Winnipeg churches.

Proof that modern churches don't have to look like a Home Sense.

It's tough for congregations to scrounge up enough money to build something nice. There was a Catholic church built in the prosperous SW suburbs of Winnipeg a few years ago. It doesn't look all that great, but they at least went beyond the bare minimum in terms of design. Even with their relatively economical building, the Archdiocese of Winnipeg just floated a $6 million dollar loan to help them pay off the mortgage and keep the doors open.

Although that said, the new LDS temple in SW Winnipeg is spectacular... I just toured it and it has the design quality of a 5-star hotel. Impeccable materials and attention to detail. Very classical, traditional design. It isn't a huge building but it must have cost a ton.

Then just down the road from the new Catholic church I mentioned there is a relatively new Baptist church which looks like a big call centre office. It's atrocious.

MolsonExport · #**740** Posted **Nov 11, 2021, 5:57 PM**

Most modern churches are butt ugly, given the bare bones financing. Especially evangelical churches (most 7th Day Adventist and Pentacostal Churches are hideously ugly...is there a difference between the 7th-day Adventist and Pentecostal movements?). Many resemble cheap funeral parlors (first link) or Big Box Barf.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4231...7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9897...7i16384!8i8192