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Church Interior Aesthetics Church Interior Aesthetics PDF

238 Pages·2008·2.44 MB·English
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Church Interior Aesthetics 1 Running head: Church Interior Aesthetics Church Interior Aesthetics: The Effects of Interior Aesthetics, Within a Worship Environment, on the Attendance of an 18 to 25 Age Population A THESIS PAPER SUBMITED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN DESIGN Amy Michelle Beauchamp UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research Edmond, Oklahoma December 5, 2008 u~[~ Valerie Settles, M.S. Committee Chairperson ~b~ Keith Webb, M.F.A Committee Member /" ./ .../'- i ~"~ j/:..-1t~ ~ickie Vanhoy Ph.D. ~ Committee Member Jennifer Bryan Committee Member Church Interior Aesthetics 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………………………3 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...5 List of Tables………………………………………………………………………....…………...6 List of Figures………………………………………………………………………….………….7 I.Introduction…………………………………………………….……….……………………….8 Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Significance of the Study Research Question II. Literature Review……………………………………………………………..........................12 A Brief History of Church Architecture and Interiors The Generation Gap Traditional Interiors Contemporary Interiors The Younger Generation: Aged 18 to 25 Multi-Sensory Interiors Lighting Color Church and Marketing Studies on the Population Aged 18 to 25 III. Methodology………………………………………………………………….……………...40 Preliminary Field Research Participants Development of Pretest Survey and Pilot Test Development of Posttest Survey Implementation IV. Results……………………………………………………………………………………….45 Faith Bible Church St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service St. Luke’s United Methodist: Life Light Life Church Church Interior Aesthetics 4 Discussion of the Results V. Conclusion and Recommendations…………………………………………………………..59 Limitations of the Study Opportunities for Further Study References…………………………………………………………………………………….....64 Glossary of terms……………………………………………………………………………......69 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………...76 Church Interior Aesthetics 5 Abstract Protestant churches are experiencing a decline in attendance in young adults aged 18 to 25, showing little interest in attending services yet the spiritual interests among them are high. Historically, cultural shifts have necessitated change to church facilities such as spatial arrangement, technologies and interior aesthetics. Some churches however, have chosen not to make these changes to its interior design style. The purpose of this study examines the effects of the interior aesthetics within a worship environment on the attendance of the 18 to 25 age population. Using grounded theory, pretest-posttest survey results conclude that participants (N=13) prefer more contemporary interiors including darker lighting, religious symbolism, close spatial arrangement that encourages community, and the creative uses of architectural elements. Church Interior Aesthetics 6 List of Tables Table 1 Foot Candles Lighting Levels 31 Table 2 Faith Bible: Seat Comfort 47 Table 3 Faith Bible Church: Perceived as Boring 48 Table 4 Faith Bible Church: Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave 49 Table 5 Faith Bible Church: Overall Impression 49 Table 6 Faith Bible Church: Would You Return to This Church? 50 Table 7 St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service: 51 Perceived Spaciousness Table 8 St. Luke’s United Methodist Traditional Service: 52 Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave Table 9 St. Luke’s United Methodist Life Light Service: 54 Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave Table 10 Life Church: Perceived Spaciousness 55 Table 11 Life Church: Perceived Busyness 56 Table 12 Life Church: Draws You In versus Wanting To Leave 57 Table 13 Life Church: Overall Impression 57 Church Interior Aesthetics 7 List of Figures Figure 1 Celtic Cross 12 Figure 2 Transept: Old Saint Peter’s Basilica 12 Figure 3 Latin Cross or Cruciform Plan 14 Figure 4 Overall Impression of the Space 43 Church Interior Aesthetics 8 Introduction Thousands have sat around the base of a hill listening to a Speaker for days at a time, not leaving to feed themselves, while other small groups have gathered quietly in attic spaces, living rooms, or caves in order to be able to listen to someone, fearing for their lives. For generations, people have gathered among great cathedrals or small country churches yet still, others have congregated in high school gyms, movie theaters, city parks, or cold and dark prison cells to listen to the Gospel preached. Extremely ornate church interiors, to some, may “display” its grandeur as they worship the Christ, yet Christ himself was born in a stable (Zondervan, 2008), and lived in simplicity. Conversely, church “designs” that appear blasé, or unconcerned with interior elements may portray no sincerity of reverence to an almighty God. Today, Protestant church attendance is declining among younger people. One solution might be to create worship spaces more appealing to this age group while maintaining design features that also welcome older members of the congregation. Younger generations report that they are drawn to dimly lit interiors, earth tones (deep color palettes such as greens, golds, and browns), and a more mystic atmosphere that appears more spatially intimate (McLaren, 2006). They report being less receptive however, to traditional church architectural elements such as wooden pews, cathedral ceilings, bright interiors (i.e., color or lighting applications) and “overstated” religious symbolism (McLaren, 2006; Badaracco-Padgett, 2005). April Grieman, an interior designer, is quoted as saying, “Design must seduce, shape, and perhaps more importantly, evoke an emotional response.” If interior designs can effectively “evoke an emotional response” during a worship experience, perhaps current approaches to church facilities should be reconsidered, in order to best attract and retain a younger generation not wanting to attend church. A California church’s self-assessment of their facilities reflected Church Interior Aesthetics 9 that, typically, visitors (on average, eight to ten percent of people in a worship service each Sunday) attending a church will decide within the first ten to fifteen minutes of entering the sanctuary whether or not they want to return. Some churches may only get one chance to make a positive first impression (Eastman, 1998, p. 2). In the Bible (Zondervan, NIV, 2008), the book of Exodus, chapter 25, verse 8, it says, “Make for Me [God] a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them.” Later in the book of Acts, chapter 20, verse 24, it says, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” If the church building serves as a vehicle for instruction of the Gospel, then in fact, “God is in the details” – Ludwig Meis Van der Rohe (1886-1969). Statement of the Problem Throughout centuries, the church building has been affected and influenced by various factors such as country rulers, economics, building techniques and product availability, among others. However, technology, (i.e., building materials, communication, lighting, electronics, etc.) as it is seen and used today is like no other time in history (Crosbie, 2005). Although architects and designers have left their mark on societies over centuries, the constant shift and additions of cultures to communities may serve as a challenge to church growth if the building is considered out-of-date or non-functional to the people who come through its doors (Burke & Pepper, 2003). Although there are many dynamics within any organization, church facilities attempt to serve the needs of a variety of people that differ demographically. Due to the diverse generations among regular attendees or visitors to a church, the overall aesthetics may or may not appeal to one group or the other, potentially being a reason of lowered attendance within a particular age group. Older generations typically prefer more traditionally styled church interiors and spatial Church Interior Aesthetics 10 arrangements while younger generations prefer contemporary, concert-like aesthetics (Seasoltz, 2005; McLaren, 2006). Many churches in the United States are seeing a rapid decline in the attendance within the 18 to 25 age population. A recent study produced by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute reported that of over 14,000 students surveyed, across 136 U.S. colleges and universities, an interest in spiritual matters was still very high although college students’ church attendance was in decline (Christian Century, 2008). Originally, the students were given the survey in 2004 asking questions about their spirituality. Three years later, the same students were given the identical survey and results showed that more than half of the students attended church services about as much as they did in high school. Forty percent, however, said they worshipped less than they had previously (Christian Century, 2008). While some postulate that a more contemporary “Starbucks” interior including warm earth tones, dimmed lights, multi-media visuals, concert-like worship and little to no religious symbolism is more effective to reach this generation, others argue a less “worldly” approach is more effective (Hutchinson, 2008). Flooding the auditorium with natural light, using bright colors and religious symbolism should portray who the church is and what it stands for: “light to the world” (Hutchinson, 2008; Zondervan, 2008). Yet still, among these opinions, others state that the interior aesthetics of a worship facility should have no impact whatsoever on the attendance of a person, regardless of their age. The latest technologies many bring benefits visually but some churches are curious to know the actual causes and effects of the decline in church attendance prior to making changes to their interiors, investing potentially thousands upon thousands of dollars in the space (McLaren, 2006).

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Transept: Old Saint Peter's Basilica drawn to dimly lit interiors, earth tones (deep color palettes such as greens, golds, and browns), .. damask fabrics, gold, brass and other highly polished surfaces were considered to be a Softer upholstery (implying a covered cushion) however, allows someone'
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