Unlike their more traditional counterparts, modern churches can easily blend into their surrounding cityscapes. This is because the architectural features that have come to symbolize churches, and even Christianity as a whole, are not always found in contemporary designs. A cross will be apparent, but it’s where the cross is that’s different. Modern churches can do without naves, flying buttresses, large bells in towers with steeped pitched roofs, Venetian arches, transepts, and colorful rose windows. They do not have to have a spire with a cross firmly on top. In fact, today’s churches can be as abstract in form as a contemporary art gallery.
Here are five modern churches that are unquestionably breaking the traditional mold: St. Barnabas Anglican Church – Sydney, Australia
The original St. Barnabas Church was erected in 1858 and stood for 148 years until it was destroyed by a fire in 2006. Six years later, the ruined structure was demolished to make way for a more modern church designed by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp. The new church is not at all like the old one, which people would often walk by without even noticing. In such a busy part of Sydney, the new church is a more inviting space. A cross is still visible from the outside, but it is part of the façade, helping to reveal the light that’s within. Without that shining cross, people might assume that the new St. Barnabas was a fitness center or a college building, but definitely not a c...