Garden Grove Community Church and Tower of Hope

Garden Grove Community Church and Tower of Hope

The now world-famous evangelist Reverend Robert A. Shuller first ministered from a drive-in movie theater. In 1962, he commissioned Richard Neutra to design a church that would resemble more traditional worship spaces while simultaneously welcoming guests who arrived in their automobiles, which Neutra referred to as the “pew from Detroit.” The concept behind this space speaks to the widespread acceptance of the car as an inherent part of the urban landscape. In order to accommodate both audiences, Neutra designed a balcony which extends beyond the glass envelope of the building, allowing the preacher to address the people in the nave and in the outdoor amphitheater at the same time. This dramatic balcony makes a visual statement as well as a practical one; at the top a long diagonal white staircase that allowed the preacher to slowly ascend above the crowd, it floats atop a long reflection pool. This unique pulpit occupies an indoor-outdoor space, something further communicated by the vertically laid stone which is used both behind the pulpit and on long walls that stretch from the indoor spaces into the outside landscaping. In addition, sliding glass doors would be opened at the end of services, allowing worshipers to move easily between the interior and exterior of the church. A tall steeple and cross are designed to be visible from the adjacent freeway, a feature further indicating the importance of the automobile in the conception and continuation of the church. Inside, Neutra drew upon his knowledge of theater design to create a space with optimal acoustics to allow for the clear delivery of sermons. He employed his signature steel detailing to achieve crisp lines, including with steel bents which form a sloped ceiling—crucial to successful acoustics—while tapering east toward the overhang that looks out to the automobiles and the morning sun. For this original use of steel, Neutra was offered an award of excellence from the American Institute of Steel Construction. Neutra also considered the arrangement of the furnishings, including the pews, which are different lengths on the east and west sides of the nave, a feature he employed in many of his other church designs. He also had Sergei Koschin design a communion table which closely resembles Le Corbusier’s work. Outside, an outdoor amphitheater accommodated as many as 600 cars. The Garden Grove complex resulted from subsequent commissions, and a group of buildings accompanying the drive-in church—including offices, a social hall, and a Sunday school—was constructed on a ten-acre site. A covered walkway leads from the church to the church offices as well as the gardens and reflecting pools surrounding them. Inside, a lounge features built-in furniture and a sheet copper fireplace. A 13-story tower to the north of the church has offices, a reading room, a library, and a two-story, glass-walled chapel at the top which accommodates 135 people. In this chapel, the dramatic backdrop of the mountains is enhanced by a water moat that surrounds the space at the edge of the building. Shuller developed a close relationship with Neutra during the project, one that continued with regular socializing with Richard and Dione Neutra during the 1960s.

Adapted from Neutra – Complete Works by Barbara Lamprecht (Taschen, 2000), pp. 411, 441.