Narthex

🌱Seed 🙂Agree

---

Importance: 10%

The Big Idea: The entryway is a unique place within a church.  It is the place where many good mornings and farewells are exchanged.  It is the first space a visitor will see.  The traditional term for a church entryway is the Narthex.  The early church dedicated this space to those wishing to become a part of the Christian community.  The narthex is the first (and in many cases the only) space visitors were allowed to enter.  The narthex is the portal from the outside world into the slice of heaven ushered in by the word and sacrament ministry held within. 

Modern psychological research has further confirmed the wisdom of the early church’s use of the narthex. Humans form first impressions rapidly. Many studies have found that it can take as little as seven seconds for first impressions to begin cementing.  In our context, that is just about as long as it takes to enter through the interior doors of our entryway.    

What does a visitor see as they step through our doors?

Our entryway has a unique anatomy.  As it stands now it is composed of three main areas: the initial tiled entryway, the walkway to the sanctuary, and the seating area. 

All of these areas seek to fulfill a large range of functions. In doing so we have diluted the main purpose of an entryway/narthex. Rather than a place of welcoming, it currently stands as a long, nondescript, hallway.  A patchwork conglomeration of signs, pamphlets, tables, chairs and whatever else gets thrown into it from season to season. Nothing stands out. There is no unifying theme, nor does the space flow in a particular direction, or guide the eye.

---

In order to recapture the primary purpose and use of our entryway, the following proposal seeks to:

• Thoughtfully engage and imagine the desired state of our entryway. 
• Propose concrete steps to achieve this vision.  

Senses 

Humans are sensory beings, all of our experiences ― every  interaction ― is filtered through hearing, sight, smell, tactile contact, or their dynamic mingling. These sensory experiences are the building blocks from which we shape our experiences.  It is from these foundational faculties of perception that we can begin to describe the current and ideal state of our entryway.

Where are we now?  

What do people see?

There is a strange dissonance in our entryway. It looks both empty and cluttered all at the same time. Imagine walking into this space for the first time.  What should you look at? Where should you turn? There is no visual indication of what is important, or where things are located.  One couldn’t even tell this is a church by the visual elements present in this space, save for the lone cross on the center sign.

 What do people hear?

Our Savior’s is remarkably quiet.  There is no atmospheric sound other than the distant sound of music before a service, or the chatter of conversations when people gather.

What do people touch?

There are many textures as one enters Our Saviors. We have tile, rough wallpaper, glass, wood, and plastic. The main texture, however, is paper. Paper pamphlets, bulletins, booklets, etc.  

What do people smell?

Overall, our entryway smells clean.  It does not have the overpowering stench of must like some churches.  Yet there is also no intentional shaping of this sensation.  

Where do we want to be?

What should people see? 

Visual cues are powerful. Our most important message should be eye catching.  The flow of our space should be simple and intuitive. The noise of information should be focused to help people find what they need. We desire a space that captures the beauty and community of our people.  A compelling first impression.  

What should people hear?

Unlike the world around us, silence is not a bad thing. In fact, it is through silence that many forms of devotional practice are possible. That being said, our entryway does give us the opportunity to thoughtfully introduce sound.  Music or flowing water are two examples of possible sounds that can serve to shape the impression of our space.

What should people touch?

The general obsession common to most churches with paper handouts may be something to think about. What things of value and long term meaning do we have for people to touch and interact with? How do we show our stewardship of natural resources with the way we use materials? 

What do people smell?

Similar to sound, smell offers an opportunity to shape our space.  Traditionally, the smell of incense was closely associated with places of worship. What smells could or should be associated with Our Saviors?

Function

Every physical space has been constructed to fulfill a human need.  If it had not, the time, effort, and money required to erect the space would not have been spent. However, as time proceeds the function of a space often drifts. For example, what is built as a relaxing spare bedroom can quickly become an oversized dusty storage closet.  In order to have a clear picture of what our entryway should look like, we first need to define the proper function of the space.

How does the space function now?

The entryway seems to have three main functions at this point.  The first is as a dissemination point for information.  The second is as a casual gathering place.  The third is a collection area for homeless objects. None of these functions are particularly aimed at welcoming visitors.  

How do we want it to function?

As described in the introduction to this proposal, the primary function of our entryway should be to welcome visitors.  It is the place of first impression as well as the initial space where connections can begin to form.   

In addition to this, gathering, sharing information, and creating atmosphere are secondary functions of value.  

Aesthetic 

Thinking about Aesthetic  is also important.

What does the space look like now?

Beginning with colors, our entryway has: reds, pink, black, dark grey, light grey, green, blue, purple, various woods, and cream stone. 

The design for our sanctuary is regal, modern, symmetrical and clean.  The design of our entryway does not match this or flow from any defined design pattern.  

What do we want it to look like?

We need to settle on a defined color pallet. And unified textures and materials.  These can come from our sanctuary or be designed to compliment our sanctuary.