One consequence of Glasgow’s extraordinary growth in the late 19th century was a wave of new church building undertaken to meet the needs of an expanding population – Queen’s Cross accommodated a congregation of 820!

In 1896, the Free Church of St Matthew, Glasgow, commissioned a new church and hall from the experienced Glasgow architectural practice of Honeyman & Keppie, to be located in the developing area of Springbank, near Maryhill. John Honeyman allocated the job to his young, talented, trainee architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The site was a tricky one, being bounded on two sides by busy roads, and butted by tenements and a large warehouse. In keeping with their beliefs, the Free Church required simplicity in design.  The foundation stone was laid on 23 June 1898 and the building opened for worship on 10 September 1899.

The construction of Queen’s Cross was contemporary with the first phase of Mackintosh’s masterpiece, The Glasgow School of Art (1897–9). It reveals a sophisticated handling of form, ornament and symbolic meaning, even at this relatively early date. Dr Thomas Howarth, Mackintosh’s first biographer, wrote of the church, ‘the building possesses a warmth and charm conspicuously absent from many churches of the period due largely to the traditional simplicity of Mackintosh’s architectural forms and to the mysticism and spirituality of his decorative motives.’

In 1929 the Free Church was reunited with the Church of Scotland which assumed ownership of Queen’s Cross. In 1976, following a decline in numbers, the congregation merged with that of nearby Ruchill Church and vacated the building. The following year, the newly-formed Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society took on the building as its headquarters and has cared for it ever since.  In 1999 a generous gift from Dr Howarth enabled the Society to purchase the church. A key mission of the Society is to continue to care for and share this wonderful building with as wide a public as possible.

From CRM Society

Saint John the Baptist Church, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland

Freestanding double-height Gothic Revival Roman Catholic church, built 1858-66, with eight-bay side elevations, gable-fronted three-bay chancel, two-bay single-storey sacristy and two-stage entrance tower and spire. Pitched concrete tile roof with gable copings, finials and cast-iron downpipes. Cut-limestone spire with lucarnes. Snecked limestone walls with stepped buttresses, string course, eaves dentils and some hood mouldings. Pointed arch openings with cut-limestone dressings and cast-iron quarry clear and coloured glazing. Retaining interior features. Graveyard to site with various cut-stone grave markers. Cut-stone piers to front with cast-iron gates and railings.

Building Section

RALEIGH, NC, September 6—Hayes Barton United Methodist Church’s new addition, The Well, has won an Award of Merit in the Cultural/Worship category from Engineering News-Record Southeast’s 2017 Best Projects competition. The addition was designed by Skinner Farlow Kirwan Architecture. It includes sculptural elements from nationally renowned sculptor Thomas Sayre. Design forms throughout compliment the sculptures in an appealing balance between form and function that blends into the neighboring community.

Constructed from August 2015–2016, the Well is not only a spiritually transformative worship space, but also the church’s houses outreach programs, including Meals on Wheels, Urban Ministries of Wake County, and Disaster Relief training.

Subtle brick patterns, chevron windows, and tapered brick columns tie the addition into the existing sanctuary. The lower level hosts the Step-up Ministry, a weekday preschool, and a 501c3 non-profit learning center for at-risk preschool children. The main level has a multi-purpose room with space for contemporary worship, fundraising, and a gymnasium. The new chapel was finished with salvaged stained-glass windows and wormy chestnut from the original chapel. The upper level houses staff offices and a large teaching room to accommodate a growing population of youth parishioners. Sculpture and holy spaces are incorporated throughout, invoking a sense of the Biblical story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman, who met at Jacob’s well.

At the addition’s center is the “Well” sculpture by Thomas Sayre, a two-story instillation featuring iridescent blue terrazzo water shimmering below clay earth castings. The dome above filters sunlight, reflected off angled mirrors, to engage all who pass through. New playgrounds were erected outside. The “Water Canopy,” another Sayre sculpture, stands outside to encourage visitors in to pause and reflect. Its shape mimics the interior “Well”.

Sculptor Thomas Sayre

This is the 17th annual Best Projects awards competition hosted by ENR Southeast. The Well at Hayes Barton UMC will be featured, along with other Best Project winners, in the Nov. 6/13 print edition of ENR Southeast.

Skinner Farlow Kirwan Architecture is a local architectural firm in Raleigh, NC. Founded in 1957, they specialize in educational, health, worship, and community building projects.

Design and Construction Team: Owner: Hayes Barton United Methodist Church - Building Committee Chair, Henry Jones Architect: Brad Farlow, AIA, NCARB, LEEP AP - Skinner Lamm & Highsmith, Raleigh, NC General Contractor: Brasfield and Gorrie, Raleigh, NC PME Engineer: Progressive Design Collaborative, Raleigh, NC Structural Engineer: Gardner and McDaniel, Durham, NC Landscape Architect: McNeely Associates, Raleigh, NC Sculptor: Thomas Sayre, Raleigh, NC Owner's Rep: Jim Lage, Raleigh, NC

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Brad Farlow at (984) 222-0572, or bfarlow@sfkarchitecture.com