Wayfarers Chapel
Encyclopedia
Wayfarers Chapel, also known as "The Glass Church" is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California
. It is noted for its unique modern architecture
and location on cliffs above Pacific Ocean
. It is part of the Swedenborgian Church of North America
and serves as a memorial
to its founder, Emanuel Swedenborg
.
The church was designed by Lloyd Wright
(son of Frank Lloyd Wright
) in the late 1940s and was built between 1949 and 1951. Additions were built in later years, including a tower and a visitor center.
As with many of Wright's buildings, the chapel features geometric designs and incorporates the natural landscape
into the design. The Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
.
Because of its scenic location, the church is very popular for weddings, both in the chapel itself and also outside on the chapel grounds.
The church was featured in the Fox
teen drama television series The O.C.
, as the site of weddings and funerals. It was also featured briefly on the American science fiction television series Sliders
.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was incorporated on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census...
. It is noted for its unique modern architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and location on cliffs above Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. It is part of the Swedenborgian Church of North America
Swedenborgian Church of North America
The Swedenborgian Church in North America . The Administrative Offices of the denomination are located at 11 Highland Avenue, Newton, MA.-Beliefs:...
and serves as a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to its founder, Emanuel Swedenborg
Emanuel Swedenborg
was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and theologian. He has been termed a Christian mystic by some sources, including the Encyclopædia Britannica online version, and the Encyclopedia of Religion , which starts its article with the description that he was a "Swedish scientist and mystic." Others...
.
The church was designed by Lloyd Wright
Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr. , commonly known as Lloyd Wright, was an American landscape architect and architect, most active in Los Angeles and Southern California...
(son of Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
) in the late 1940s and was built between 1949 and 1951. Additions were built in later years, including a tower and a visitor center.
As with many of Wright's buildings, the chapel features geometric designs and incorporates the natural landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
into the design. The Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Because of its scenic location, the church is very popular for weddings, both in the chapel itself and also outside on the chapel grounds.
The church was featured in the Fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
teen drama television series The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, as the site of weddings and funerals. It was also featured briefly on the American science fiction television series Sliders
Sliders
Sliders is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast for five seasons, beginning in 1995 and ending in 2000. The series follows a group of travelers as they use a wormhole to "slide" between different parallel universes. The show was created by Robert K. Weiss and Tracy Tormé...
.
External links
- WayfarersChapel.org
- Wikitravel info on Wayfarers Chapel
- Spherical panorama of Wayfarers Chapel (Requires Adobe Flash)