Greek Church of the Annunciation
Newburyport, MA

The Greek community of Newburyport was anxious to replace their original church, which had been destroyed by fire, with a new and fireproof building. The parish sought to express the spirit of the congregation while being harmonious with the surrounding Federalist residential neighborhood.

Woodman Associates developed the concept of rotating the bema and main seating space diagonally within the building, while exploring two divergent traditional styles put forth by the building committee. One a conventional Greek cross plan and the other a rectangular basilica style plan. In this way, the central area is full when its eighty seats are occupied, while occupying the corners when necessary may accommodate an additional seventy people. This arrangement also allows the choir and organ to be at the side of the congregation, easily visible without the need or expense of building a choir loft.

The church is on a sharply sloping site. The sanctuary is on the upper floor and the function facilities are at street level. Both floors may be entered independently from outside the building.

The interior shape of the sanctuary mirrors the external shape of the building. Sloping the ceiling along the perimeter walls not only enhanced the acoustics, but also created the sense of being in a space reflecting the dome above and encompassing the congregation below.