St. Bartholomew

“What we have is a church-nasium” announced Fr. Walsh when he called EverGreene’s Sacred Space Studio in need of help. St. Bartholomew’s parish had indeed been fitted into what was originally intended to be the school’s gym, and it felt like it: utilitarian, cluttered, and cheaply made.

EverGreene was commissioned to elevate the interior, making it more fitting for the celebration of the Mass. The first step was a concept design phase. To explore the visual impact and cost of various interventions. Some of the changes were about order, giving a greater sense of harmony, by creating more definition to the sanctuary, moving the choir back to the choir loft, straightening the pews, creating a central aisle, and making the Sanctuary ADA accessible. Other changes were about materiality, creating new liturgical furnishings out of marble in place of the wood ones, replacing cheap flooring with tile, replacing blue windows with stained glass, and introducing wrought iron railings and gates designed to provide security and to be beautiful. Artwork played a large role in the transformation of St. Bartholomew’s church including new murals on the altar wall inspired by St. Bartholomew’s in Rome, patterning on the ceiling in place of the peeling metallic wall paper, and a hand painted devotional image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Not all churches make us feel we are glimpsing the new Jerusalem, but all things are redeemable! The transformation of St. Bartholomew began was a collaboration between EverGreene Architectural Arts, Victor Zucchi & Son, and Rambusch Lighting & Decorating. It is an excellent example of how very possible it is to introduce beauty in buildings that were not originally designed with it in mind, and how very worthwhile the effort is!