Oakland, CA

The project expands the existing church facility on Eighth Street into two contiguous buildings on Ninth Street, one existing, the other new.

The linking of these three buildings through the block provides substantial additional social and communal space for the congregation, including new fellowship spaces, library, kitchen classrooms and offices. The difficult found conditions are clarified by new circulation routes which make the complex legible. The rooftop of the existing structure, accessed from the new building, is an exterior gathering space in this dense urban area. Here outdoor ceremonies will occur.

The reglit glass façade on Ninth Street integrates the existing and new structures, presenting a shimmering image of the congregation to the city.