Architecture and Campus Map
"The new church should be close to people," the architects were told in 1960. This single guideline profoundly affected the design of St. Mark's, its placement on the site and the arrangements of space within it. The church is close to and freely accessible from the street, facing south upon a large oval commons.
Inside, the central, free-standing altar becomes the focus of interest. It is close to the congregation spatially and liturgically, as it was during the early church when believers customarily surrounded the holy table for the celebration of the Eucharist. The choir and organ are located behind the altar. They are separated from it by the reredos screen. Although it softens the visual impact of the choir, it is acoustically transparent to preserve the advantages of a central, axial source of music.
The design expresses in today's idiom and materials those Gothic principles which are still relevant in terms of simplicity and strength. It is St. Mark's structure that is, in a real sense, its design. Triangular vaults rise up from 13 white reinforced concrete columns - each 40-feet high and weighing 16 tons - to support the roof. The tapered columns are linked by infill walls, 18 inches thick, made of buff-colored patterned brick. The negative joint or recess at each column indicates that structural support comes from the column rather than the wall.
The church entrance presents an intricate patterned grille work of concrete and stained glass infill. A wooden cross is mounted on the grill above the teak wood doors. Panels on these doors carry carved biblical quotations and the lion, symbol of St. Mark, appears in the bronze door pulls.
The nave reaches a height of 56 feet. The church seats 700, but through the seating arrangement provided in the side chapel and balcony, it appears comfortably filled with less than 400. The side chapel is used for weekday services, small weddings and funerals.
Sacristy and altar guild rooms adjoin the main church. Storage space is provided for liturgical vestments and vessels, with a pass-through between the two rooms. Nearby, the choir director's office, robing room and choir practice room form a compact and acoustically treated unit. The library, which also serves as an informal meeting room, has a fireplace set into a walnut-paneled wall. Sliding glass walls open directly onto the landscaped courtyard.
A covered passageway leads from the church, along the south side of the courtyard, to the 400-seat parish hall (Morrill Hall). Sixty-eight feet square, it has a pyramidal roof with central skylight and a coffered white acoustical ceiling. Adjoining the parish hall is a kitchen with serving area as well as storage rooms, all of which support a wide variety of functions.
Architect Willis N. Mills brilliantly planned St. Mark’s to serve effectively the modern needs of a large and active congregation. His central mandate, that it remain "close to the people," is borne out every day. His bold architectural vision continues to inspire us for bold worship and ministry today.
The St. Mark’s Reredos
Designed and executed by sculptor Clark B. Fitz-Gerald, the reredos is an ornamental wall screen behind an altar, telling the story of Christian heritage. The sculptor spent three years creating it in his
The Reverend Grant A. Morrill, D.D., Rector of St Mark’s from 1955 – 1975, provided a detailed explanation of the reredos:
The following statement attempts to suggest only the major theme represented in the reredos. It is a suggestive guide to approaching the artist's rendering of very rich and complex concepts in our Christian heritage. Let your viewing of the reredos be a worshipful and creative experience.
The sculptured figures and symbols of the reredos portray the drama of Redemption. They tell the historical story of Christianity and chart the spiritual journey of every Christian life.
God, the Creator
Across the highest extreme of the reredos we see the symbols of God the Almighty. To the left of center, in the higher portion, we see a hand, the ancient symbol of God the Creator. Flowing out of the hand, to the lower right, are the things and creatures of God's work - raindrops, the sun, the earth, the moon, the stars, protozoa - the flora and fauna of this created world. Culminating the creative activity of God is a sculpture of Adam and Eve, toward the lower right hand corner. The story of Adam's experience in the Garden of Eden, and his expulsion from it, is found across the lower extreme of the reredos.
God, the Giver of the Law and Inspirer of the Prophets
In the lower portion of the reredos, toward the left, we see the figure of Moses receiving the Law. This section is given over to the story of the Old Testament, in which God offers man a way back to Him through the gift of the law and the revelations of the prophets.
God, the Redeemer
High in the center of the reredos we see the Hebrew word for Lord surrounded by golden rays. From this symbol to the center of the reredos flows the depiction of the redemption of mankind through Jesus. Reading this section from the lower center up, we see the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, the choosing of the twelve apostles, a sampling of Jesus’ words and miracles, and the story of passion week. Finally, on the center plaque is a representation of the mighty work of redemption wrought by Christ on the cross.
God, the Sanctifier
In the upper right hand portion of the reredos we find, on the wooden plaque, the symbol of God the Holy Spirit descending upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, manifesting Himself with the "sound of a mighty rushing wind." This section deals with the work of the Holy Spirit through sacraments, ministry and fellowship. Surrounding the primary symbol, we find the symbols of the sacraments of the Church, which are the Christ-ordained means by which God the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Other symbols in this section are reminders of those areas in contemporary life to which the ministry of the Church should address itself most specifically.
God, the King and the Judge
The actions of God as king and judge are woven into all of the four preceding mighty acts.
Man's Response to God
Man's response to God’s action begins with Adam and Eve and continues in the life of the Hebrew nation, in the lives of the prophets, in Christ's life, in the lives of the apostles, and in the lives of great men of Christian history, each one represented by his own symbol.
Identification of Figures on the Reredos:
Symbols for God
1 Alpha
2 Omega
3 Hebrew letters meaning Lord
4 Five Eyes
God, the Creator
5 Hand of God (on wood)
6 Rain Drops
7 Sun
8 Earth
9 Moon
10 Stars
11 Protozoa
12 Pea
13 Spiderwort
14 Weed
15 Mushroom
16 Acorn
17 Lady's Slipper
18 Corn
19 Heart's Tongue
20 Thistle
21 Sunflower
22 Sea Anemone
23 Water Lily
24 Tree
25 Wheat
26 School of Ancient Fish
27 Portuguese Man of War
28 Starfish
29 Centipede
30 Bee
31 Octopus
32 Chiton
33 Butterfly
34 Spider
35 Mosquito
36 Dragonfly
37 Beetle
39 Mantis
40 Horseshoe Crab
41 Carp
42 Lizard
43 Crab
44 Tropical Fish
45 Frog
46 Turtle
47 Kiwi
48 Snake
49 Rooster
50 Gulls
51 Penguin
52 Roadrunner
53 Camel
54 Giraffe
55 Whale
56 Toucan
57 Owl
58 Armadillo
59 Fox
60 Pig
61 Bat
62 Lion
63 Moose
64 Ape
65 Walrus
66 Mice
67 Elephant
68 Goat
69 Horse
70 Adam and Eve (on wood)
71 Four Races of Man
The Garden of Eden
(Part of Creation)
72 Adam Expelled
73 Adam in Doubt
74 Adam in Confusion
75 Adam Thinking
76 Sword of Expulsion
77 Adam Running from God
78 Adam Hiding from God
79 Adam in Guilt
God, the Giver of the Law
and Inspirer of the Prophets
80 Moses (on wood)
81 Cain and Able
82 Esther
83 Job
84 Jonah
85 Amos
86 Abraham and Isaac
87 David and Goliath
88 Noah
89 Isaiah and Angel
90 Hosea and Gomer
91 Ruth and Naomi
92 Elisha
93 Samson
94 Seven Trumpeters
95 Daniel
96 Joel
97 Ezekiel
98 Jacob and the Angel
99 Jeremiah
God, the Redeemer
100 Redeemer (on wood)
101 Baptism
102 Christ calling the Twelve (St. Mark 3:13)
103 St. James son of Alphaeus
104 St. Simon, the Cananaean
105 St. Matthew
106 Judas
107 St. James, and St. John
108 St. Peter and St. Andrew
109 St. Thomas
110 St. Jude (Thaddaeus)
111 St. Philip and St. Bartholomew
112 Miracle of Loaves and Fishes
113 Christ Healing Man with Withered Hand
114 Christ Walking on the Water
115 Christ Healing Deaf Mute
116 Parable of the Sower
117 Parable of Light under a Bushel
118 Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem
119 Last Supper
120 Gethsemane
121 Kiss of Judas
122 Peter and the Cock
123 Condemnation
124 Crucifixion
125 Resurrection (Angel)
God, the Sanctifier
126 Pentecost (on wood)
127 Holy Baptism
128 Holy Communion
129 Confirmation
130 Ordination
131 Healing
132 Confession and Absolution
133 Holy Matrimony
134 Preaching
135 Ecumenical Movement (Oikoumené‚)
136 Mission to All Nations (United Nations Symbol)
137 World Church (Globe)
138 Dialogue between Faith and Science (Maltese Cross and Atom)
139 Civic Responsibility (Ballot)
140 Church's Concern for Man Confined (Man in Barbed Wire)
141 Equality of Man (Scales)
142 Judgment (Wheat and Tares)
Man's Response to God
70 Adam and Eve (on wood)
143 Chaos
144 Star of David
145 Twelve Prophets (12 pointed Star)
146 Christ (IHC Sacred Monogram)
147 St. Peter (Keys)
148 St. James (Three Shells)
149 St. John (Serpent and Sword)
150 St. Andrew (Two Fishes)
151 St. Phillip (Tau Cross)
152 St. Bartholomew (Three Knives)
153 St. Thomas ("T" Square and Spear)
154 St. James the Less (Saw)
155 St. Matthew (Axe)
156 St. Jude (Ship)
157 St. Simon (Fish on Boat Hook)
158 Judas (Pieces of Silver on Rope)
159 St. Paul (Snake in Fire)
160 St. Matthew (Open Book)
161 St. Mark (Open Book)
162 St. Luke (Open Book)
163 St. John (Open Book)
164 St. Jerome (Lion)
165 Constantine (Cross with Chi Rho)
166 St. Athanasius (Equilateral Triangle)
167 St. Cyril of Alexandria (Scroll with Greek Word "Theotokos")
168 St. Boniface (Raven)
169 St. Stephen (Three Stones)
170 St. Chrysostom (Bee Hive)
171 St. Thomas Aquinas (Chalice with Star)
172 St. Martin of Tours (Cloak and Sword)
173 St. Thomas à Becket (Mitre with Sword)
174 St. Francis (Three Birds)
175 St. Augustine of Canterbury (Cross Fiché‚)
176 St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Ball of Fire)
177 Charlemagne (Shield with three figures de Lis)
178 St. Patrick (Shamrock)
179 St. Bede (Pitcher of water and light from Heaven)
180 St. Augustine of Hippo (Flaming Heart pierced by two arrows)
181 Martin Luther (Rose)
182 Wesley (Burning Brand)
183 Thomas Cranmer (Hand in Flames)
184 William Temple (Oikoumené‚)
