Saint Paul The Apostle
Gurnee, IllinoisOne of the very first questions asked of the building team for this new catholic community was where on this hilly farmland site would a gathering build a fire, share a meal, and tell a story? The place chosen was at the base of a gently sloping hill, sheltered from the noise and commotion of an expanding suburb. It was here that HGA placed the altar table surrounded by community seating for 1200. A gathering space was placed on the most visible side of the site to invite the surrounding community in. Tucked beneath the worship space and into the hill is a walk out lower level for Christian education. Additional site area has been reserved adjacent to the gathering space for future administration and education areas. City traffic restrictions and a desire to preserve as many existing trees as possible limited access to the site to far corners of the parcel. Sweeping transitional roads lead the visitor past the parking to the gathering doors.