Downtown Presbyterian

My first impression of the Downtown Presbyterian Church was how large the sanctuary appears to be. The tall painted windows, tall doors, and rhythmic columns give a sense of grandeur and importance. However, the room itself is not all that large. Also the hypostyle trompe l'oeil paintings accentuate this effect. Our group agreed that the style of architecture gave this impression of vastness and importance. While I thought the sanctuary was beautiful, it did seem a little bit out of place in a downtown church in Nashville. We briefly discussed the implications of paganism and other conflicting religious views that may be inherent in incorporating such distinct architecture. I would love to discuss this further to understand more what the population of Nashville during the church’s construction felt about the architectural choices made.