tour redux

always we begin again where the granite slabs
yield to brick steps and the cool red brick floors throughout
the entry is a cast of wood and glass and concrete
tall heavy dark brown doors await the faithful and the curious
they entail a certain commitment

the portal to the church proper
the rear of the nave is a finely formed
let's say " oaken"conception
a formidable woodcast quadrangular
manifestation of geometric preoccupation
on the part of someone
with copper plated
heavy wooden doors
cabinets to the sides
which hold
the clock that times the bell banner
to ring
and various baskets and books
which accrue in churches

to walk through this portal
is to find oneself under the balconey
with a heavy steel and wood balustrade
a cantilevered formed and flying
winged mass which juts out into the
open space with the agility of a falcon
this concrete overhead seating arrangement
is supported by four arched concrete pillars
each with an oblong shaped distorted rounded
sort of square thing a hole as it were
for strength
to the far east and west sides are stairwells
laid with granite
to some extent the structure impedes upon the
massive stainglass window project of bronislaw bak
the immense hexagonal beehive grid
with kaleidescopic pattern abstract to a degree
which constitutes 85% of the north wall of the church

how big is the space how suddenly open
how necessary for the soul of man
like any good worship space
the human is humbled here

the appointments are subtle simple and severe
no ornamentation here
behold long simple lines
simple geometry
simple color
simple as we know
can be very complicated

the wood from the forest
the granite from the quarrys nearby
the brick of minnesota clay
the workforce mostly local men
monks cousins brothers fathers
ancient preferences shared by
the bauhaus

approaching the middle of the room
the question needs be asked:
in what are we standing ?


i must once again conduct a tour today
and i will scan again some of the details
that i tend to neglect