St. Joseph’s Catholic Church

A 550 seat church located in Adams Friendship north of Wisconsin Dells. One of the main concerns of the members was well designed acoustics, creating a space where everyone can hear the spoken word naturally. An active church music program and choir demanded good acoustics as well. I took the Star of Bethlehem (a star with elongated tail) as a starting point for the new church. The five sides of the star created a structure where no two walls within a space are parallel, this results in a wonderful natural acoustic in the sanctuary. The original concept featured a roof in the gesture of praying hands, however this version was revised for cost savings. In the built version the roofs structural system reveals its form inside the sanctuary providing a unique aesthetic. I designed liturgical furniture to all harmonize with the structure and lines of the church.