Title: MILE HI CHURCH
Location Current Site: Lakewood CO UNITED STATES
Creator Personal Name: Michael Brendle Architects,PC
Creator Assoc Person Birth Date: 1983-06-01 00:00:00
Creator Assoc Person Birth/Death Dates: 1983
Creator Assoc Person Name: Case,Sarah
Creator Assoc Person Role: Photographer
Date.Creation: 1970-1973
Subject.Image Description: Center lobby
Creator.Personal Name Label: Michael Brendle Architects,PC
Description.Image Comments: ENVD4122 spring 2004 ELCALP project
Instructor: Lynn Lickteig
Celebration Center
Style/Period: Futurist
Subject Image View Type: Interior, general view
Description.Subject Report: MILE HI CHURCH AND CELEBRATION CENTER
Located at the corner of Garrison Street and Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado, a suburb slightly northwest of Denver, Colorado, the Mile Hi Church of Religious Science is a dome-shaped structure that commands the attention of everyone who happens by. Religious Science is not Scientology or Christianity. It is an interdenominational faith that encompasses all religions by embracing a basic doctrine of positive spiritual living. Churchgoers say that it is not just a religion, it is a way of approaching one's entire life in a positive way. The futuristic architecture of 9077 West Alameda Avenue, often referred to as the "spider church" or "spaceship" was constructed due to the massive crowding of churchgoers to Mile Hi Church, housed in 1959 in the sales auditorium of the Kirby Building at 5050 West Colfax Avenue. From the Kirby Building, the services moved to a building at 25th Street and Chase, circa 1960, and then to the Lakeridge Theatre at 1650 Wadsworth, circa 1962. Amidst all of this growth, the United Church of Religious Science officially acknowledged the church in 1960. The Mile Hi Church continued to grow at a staggering pace because of its welcoming attitude and warm atmosphere, until even the Lakeridge Theatre was too small to hold the large congregation. In the 1970's, the ever-growing congregation agreed to find a permanent home for Mile Hi, constructing a large building by pouring concrete over a huge mound of dirt which the congregation mounded themselves. The tons of dirt underneath the concrete were then excavated via arched spaces left in the concrete. To this day the ceiling of the main sanctuary remains rough and porous, a reminder of the unusual construction methods used. The new structure opened for Sunday services in August 1973. There is no named architect for the church. Besides the large, 2,000 capacity sanctuary, the Mile Hi Church building has the H. Fred Vogt Chapel, which seats 90 people. H. Fred Vogt was the Senior Minister of Mile Hi Church in 1966, and he geared the services toward everyday living using humor and contemporary music as part of his unique ministerial style. The stained-glass windows and curved walls and ceiling give the chapel, used for weddings, baptisms, memorials, and prayer services, an intimate, calm atmosphere. The chapel has video-feed capabilities, and is used for overflow seating when the main sanctuary is full during Sunday services and special events. The Mile Hi Church building also hosts a Prayer and Guidance Center and The Higher Shelf, the church's very own bookstore. The church was renovated in 1994, to include "new carpeting and pews, a redesigned platform, an upgrade of sound and lighting equipment and a new organ." There are several buildings on this 16-acre campus. Adjacent to the Mile Hi Church is the 12,600 sq. ft Mile Hi Church Community and Celebration Center. Built in 1997 by Michael Brendle Architects, PC, and funded totally through donations from the congregation, the building is available for meetings, banquets, conferences, workshops, receptions, dinners, and dances. The Celebration Room has a raised stage and seating for 700 people, large patio areas, numerous conference/multi-purpose rooms, and a large kitchen, which can accommodate several functions simultaneously. Underneath the multifaceted Community and Celebration Center is the Mile Hi Teen Center, with colorful murals and windows, where youth activities and classes are held many days of the week. In 1998, the Mile Hi Celebration Center won an Honor Award from the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects Colorado Design. In December 2000, an administration services building was erected, bringing together all of the multiple facets of Mile Hi Church. Sources: http://www.milehichurch.org/about/campus/community.asp
http://www.milehichurch.org/about/history.asp Rev. (Dr.) Roger W. Teel, Senior Minister (Sarah Case)
ID Number.Former Image Accession VISC: 145485
Date.Image: 2004
Rights Description: Copyright owned by The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, and the photographer. All rights reserved.
Source.Requestor Full Name: Lickteig, Lynn
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