Sanctuary of St. Paul's
Photo: L.J. Schneekloth Photography
become well-known as a prophet of modern architecture, and
had an enormous, lasting influence on Frank Lloyd Wright
and other masters of 20th-century design. The opportunity
was serendipitious. While based in Chicago for most of his
career, Sullivan lived briefly in Cedar Rapids when St. Paul’s
decided to build a new church.
St. Paul’s innovative concept was a good fit with Sullivan’s
unique style that emphasized functionality and purpose,
enriched with a complex, unique approach to ornament.
Sullivan’s major works include the Auditorium Building and
the Carson Pirie Scott department store in Chicago, but he is
best known for early skyscrapers such as the Wainwright
Building in St. Louis that emphasized the verticality of this
new form of urban architecture. Later he was known for
designing a series of small bank buildings not far from St.
Paul’s that demonstrated his unrivaled creativity, juxtaposing
florid decoration and severe, architectural geometry.
Sullivan’s initial designs were modified by the
congregation, in part to save costs, so he eventually resigned
from the project. Even so, much of Sullivan’s design was
respected. If anything, the pruning of ornamental touches
further emphasized the modern shapes that characterize the
design. The bold curved format of the main worship space or
“auditorium,” along with the distinctive shape of the tower and
its landmark illuminated cross, were strikingly modern in
their severe shapes and bold lines. While decoration was
relatively sparse, Sullivan’s well-known doctrine of “form
follows function” is reflected in one of the most interesting
details of the complex. The two main entrance staircases for
the auditorium are expressed as major elements in their own
right, emphasizing their function and creating strong visual
features for the main facade.
16
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
Sullivan’s design was also revolutionary in its plan. While
many churches across the nation were continuing to build
Sunday Schools on the 1860s-era Akron Plan (with an open
rotunda circled by one or more tiers of classrooms), Sullivan
provided a new and modern alternative that reflected
up-to-date educational pedagogy, with separate classrooms for
each age group organized along a double-loaded corridor.
Renewing the Vision for Modern Challenges
Though Sullivan’s design of St. Paul’s was
forward-thinking in 1913, over time the building no longer
met all of the needs of a modern and growing congregation
with evolving programs. Like countless congregations across
America, in the mid-20th century St. Paul’s constructed
another building to house educational programs. And as travel
by car became an increasingly everyday occurrence, the
congregation purchased property across the street to create a
parking lot.
Common room in new connector building
Photo: L.J. Schneekloth Photography