By Kristin Boyd, The Packet Group
Monsignor Walter Nolan has a confession. He now has another favorite place at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church besides the pulpit.
”My favorite little spot is the library room and the lounge with the fireplace,” he said. “It’s a nice, intimate gathering place for prayer, or maybe to have a cup of coffee, chit-chat or read the newspaper.”
The rooms are part of St. Paul’s recently renovated spiritual center, formerly the church basement. Saphire + Albarran Architecture, with offices in Pennington, completed the two-year project in May.
St. Paul previously had a quintessential church basement — an 11,000-square-foot open space with monotone flooring and small windows positioned just a few inches below a low ceiling, architect Joseph Saphire said.
”It was a gymnasium-size space that was as flat as a pancake,” he said. “It was not inviting. People were not excited about using the space.”
While re-designing the space, Saphire + Albarran Architecture continually solicited input from St. Paul’s parishioners, who wanted additional office space and meeting rooms, as well as an updated look. “They were able to ask questions and interact with us, so they felt ownership of the project,” Mr. Saphire said.
The outcome is a multi-use space that feels like it has a purpose and can accommodate simultaneous events and meetings, Monsignor Nolan said.
The renovations include a lobby, library, elevator, three lounges, four meeting rooms and 20 locked storage closets for the church’s ministries. The central space, an auditorium-reception hall, includes stage seating, moveable partitions, two drop-down projection screens and an updated kitchen with a buffet-style serving area. There’s also a new Hispanic meeting room and music director room.
To improve the space, Saphire + Albarran Architecture built a canopy-covered entrance way with a ramp, broadened the windows for additional light and raised the ceiling for better acoustics. Details include woodwork trim and a limestone façade, Mr. Saphire pointed out.
”We wanted to give the spiritual center its own identity and presence,” he said, “but keep it connected to the church by its façade.”
The renovated spiritual center marks a new testament in the church’s 165-year history, said Monsignor Nolan, describing the upgrade as a rebirth.
”What surprises most people is the transformation,” he said. “They come, and they just say, ‘Wow.’ It gives you the feeling that you can celebrate here.”
The celebrations have already started — a kindergarten graduation and an eighth-grade awards ceremony were held in the spiritual center last week. A bouquet of yellow and blue balloons still remained on a set of bleachers.
”Our tradition goes back 165 years; our school tradition goes back almost 130 years,” Monsignor Nolan said, adding more than 3,000 families attend the church. “This is just a piece of what we do here that brings us together as a family and helps us grow in holiness.”
Next up are plans for a remembrance room and designated space for youth, as well as events to celebrate “The Year of St. Paul,” which begins June 29. The commemorative event, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, will recognize the 2,000th anniversary of the apostle’s birth.
”With this space, we can make it work,” Monsignor Nolan said, smiling as he again scanned the auditorium. “It’s exciting because it makes you wonder, ‘Wow, what did we do before.”
