St. Basil Catholic Church, 1969
1969
A.C. Martin & Associates
Designed in a modern, Brutalist style meant to echo the simplicity of early Basilican architecture, the St. Basil Catholic Church is made up of twelve concrete towers and concrete slab walls that enclose an area capable of seating 1,000 people. The plain, unadorned exposed aggregate surface of the concrete walls is interrupted by a series of stained glass windows designed by artist Claire Falkenstein, which she called “endless screens.” Landscape architect Emmet Wemple constructed planters at the base of the church, from which trees wrap around the exterior and reach towards the tops of the towers.
Wayne Thom’s black-and-white photographs of the exterior emphasize the church’s fortress-like appearance, while his color photography of the interior captures the warmth created by the rainbow of colored light from the stained glass windows. As he relayed in an interview for this exhibition, the St. Basil Catholic Church is one of Thom’s favorite buildings in Los Angeles, and he considers the interior photo of a woman kneeling in the pews to be one of his best images. The praying woman just happened to kneel down before he took the photo and, with the colorful light playing across the wall, the photo came together perfectly for him.
References:
“St. Basil Catholic Church, AC Martin, web.
“St. Basil Catholic Church,” Los Angeles Conservancy, web.
“A Unique Memorial to Albert C. Martin, Jr.,” AIA California Council, October 21, 2017.
Wayne Thom in discussion with Rachel Trombetta via email, March 23, 2018.
