Unity Temple - by Frank Lloyd Wright

An early example of on-site poured reinforced concrete construction, the temple actually comprises two separate buildings, a church and a parish house, connected by a loggia. This was one of Wright's first "bipartite" designs (New York's Guggenheim Museum is another) and it enabled church and parish functions to take place simultaneously without disturbing one another.

The Temple fronts on a street in an urban setting. Therefore, street noise represented a problem. Wright resolved this by placing stained glass windows in the ceiling and in a clerestory panel high above the street. The green, yellow, and earth tones in the stained glass evoke an outdoor sensation which countered the enclosed feeling conveyed by the windowless interior lower walls. The temple side offers balcony seating in addition to floor seating. This arrangement accommodates a large congregation yet permits everyone to be within 40 feet of the pulpit.

The Unity Temple has been a United States National Landmark since 1971. It was ranked No. 6 in Architectural Record Magazines' 100 most significant buildings in the United States.