The Project takes the long, hard, crowded road back downtown! But not just any part of Center City—none other than snooty Rittenhouse Square, the city’s largest home of high-class, high-falutin’ hijinks. The last time we were here, we were treated to the most excellent St. Patrick—which, ironically, is right around the corner from this week’s test subject, the Episcopalian Church of the Holy Trinity.
Protestant churches are an odd bunch. They’re usually structurally impressive (if wackily designed), but ornamentally deficient. Church of the Holy Trinity is no exception to the rule, but it still does some very good things in its own right.
First, the good. Holy Trinity boasts a wonderful reddish-stone exterior, highlighted by a prominent spire and rose window, not to mention some lovely interlocking pilasters and ornate Corinthian order-influenced doorway arches. Oh, and the best part? The facade is prominent and designed to be used as the entry, so there’s no dealing with the pesky How the $#%@ do I get in here?. (Someone’s been reading the Roman Catholic playbook!)
The large interior is highlighted by a pretty nicely decorated sanctuary and apse, and features a variety of gold and red hues, solid woodwork and some decent murals. There are also two sets of stained glass windows, above and below the side balconies, and both sets are mostly pretty nice.
So….where’s the bad? True to Protestant form, Holy Trinity errs on the side of caution and understatement. Thus, the décor isn’t crammed to the gills with stuff, like, say, a St. Joseph. They do earn props for actually trying; they at least make the attempt to decorate the ceiling, and they severely minimize the dreaded “white plaster / wooden beam” conundrum.
Also, the stained-glass windows terribly incohesive. There are several competing styles, including some plainer pictorial ones, and none are arranged in any sort of logical fashion. It’s pretty slapdash, really, and makes the architects seem kind of lazy. Maybe they weren’t, but that’s the impression this design choice (or lack thereof) brings.
LOOK FOR IT: The aforementioned balconies are notable because instead of facing forward toward the sanctuary, they face sideways toward the opposite sides of the nave. That’s the first appearance of such a feature.
ARCHITECTURAL ASIDE OF THE WEEK: Holy Trinity is designed in the Norman architectural style, a Romanesque variation. To that end, we get round and ornately carved arches galore. It does, however, eschew the pure size that accompanies most Romanesque churches. (Think Immaculate Conception or Our Lady of Hope.)
Pretty good as Protestant churches go. I like the size, and the ornamentation does enough.
Size Rating: 8 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Overall Design Rating: 8 out of 10 crosses
