This historic church has served the downtown Dallas community since 1856, from the day after Dallas was incorporated as a city. Several additions were added as the church grew over time, each at a different floor level. Much of the church was inaccessible to older members who were unable to navigate the numerous stairs. The original Neo-Classical church and its Art Deco fellowship hall were designed to enter from the street, but when a six-level parking garage was added, the main entry became through the parking garage. Our firm provided a new 10,000 sq ft welcome center that created an inviting front door and a fresh new image for the church. In addition, 40,000 sq ft of existing space were gutted to create direct, gracious, and accessible paths to all parts of the campus. We transformed a dark and depressing gym into a light-filled activity space with a roof deck overlooking the city, and adjacent dull and institutional youth classrooms into a vibrant new youth center.
