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 Foundations
Natural Beauty - St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus, Indiana, is a testament to the unifying power of good design.
The tall copper spire of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church stands like a beacon on the Columbus, Indiana, skyline, welcoming lifelong parishioners and newcomers to enjoy its simple beauty. Not only is the church a work of art, but its innovative design makes it a perfect gathering space for worship and fellowship.
Designed by Latvian architect Gunnar Birkerts and completed in 1988, one of the most striking elements of the church is the circle-within-a-circle design that creates its inner and outer sanctuaries. “When you sit in the smaller circle, you get a small church feeling,” says David Florine, director of operations for St. Peter’s. “When you are in the larger circle, you can have a sense of full worship.” The two sanctuaries give parishioners a space that is both community-oriented and an intimate place to worship.
The lighting in the church is also distinctive. “Birkerts is very well-known for his manipulation of natural light,” says David Force, a local architect who worked with Birkerts on St. Peter’s. “The church is remarkably simple; the light comes in from different angles, which tends to soften and modulate it.” The sunlight pouring through large windows, combined with the sanctuary’s tall ceilings, white walls and clear-finished maple accents, makes the space seem almost heavenly, according to Florine. “The sun washes over the building at different times of the service,” he says. “St. Peter’s really feels like a house of God.”
—Erika Lewis
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St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Columbus, Indiana, is just one of several notable pieces of architecture in the city.
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