Community Corner

Midtown's ChristChurch Presbyterian to Break Ground on Saturday

The open design and generous use of glass windows and doors will allow passers-by to look into our facility, where we'll have activities going on every day of the week.

In an announcement released yesterday, Midtown Patch has learned that Atlanta’s ChristChurch Presbyterian (www.christchurchatlanta.org) will break ground Saturday, Sept. 21 at noon on a dramatic new sanctuary at 1740 Peachtree Street in Midtown.  

According to a written statement, "the new church will feature an exciting modern design that will incorporate much of the site’s existing building, and complement its urban setting."

Leading this new construction project will be Gertler &Wente Architects, LLP, a New York City-based architecture firm, and Atlanta-based Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh & Associates.  Van Winkle Construction of Atlanta is the construction manager.

“Our congregation is committed to serving both our neighborhood and the City of Atlanta through welcome, outreach and worship,” said Rev. Dr. Paul Gardner, the senior pastor.  “We are outgrowing our current facility and cannot adequately expand our congregation and reach our city without additional space where we can worship and meet together, invite people to join us and provide gathering spaces for youth, classes, meals, counseling and ministry work.”

Four years ago, the congregation purchased a three-story office building at the corner of Peachtree and 25th Streets, just a few blocks from their current location, and began the process of clarifying what they wanted to do with the site.

The two architecture firms collaborated on a design that expands the existing building on its south side and elevates the roof and windows above a 925-seat sanctuary.  Seating inside the sanctuary will be accomplished through stackable chairs, rather than permanent pews, making the room flexible for other uses apart from worship services.  The Peachtree Street side of the building will feature a subtle tower with three crosses facing north, south and east.  An inviting courtyard will help transition visitors from the busy city streetscape to the more contemplative areas of the building.

“As New Urbanists, we like to push buildings out to the sidewalk to encourage interaction and pedestrian traffic – goals shared by ChristChurch,” said Jerry Spangler, AIA, LEED AP, and founding principal of TSW.  “The new church will feature a coffee shop facing Peachtree Street and an art gallery on the building’s south side.  The contextual modern design will help the structure blend in with its neighbors, and we will use steel and glass in the construction as well as more traditional church building materials like brick and stone.  The exterior will be clad in a large-scale porcelain panel along with the brick, glass and steel.  Passers-by will know it’s a church, but they might have to take a second look to be sure,” he said.

Find out what's happening in Midtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Construction is slated begin soon building process will take about 14 months, once started.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Midtown