Architecture
OAJ Tour of the Balkans Led by Andrew Gould
The Orthodox Arts Journal is sponsoring its first-ever art and architecture package tour, which will take place in the Balkans. This tour will last 2 weeks, and will visit all the key sites for medieval architecture, frescoes, and liturgical art in Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. It will begin in Belgrade on May, 30th, 2023,…
Continue reading »Church Architecture in America: A Look at the Sanctuary from a Missionary Perspective
Editor’s Note: This essay is an interesting provocation for church architects and liturgical artists. Fr. John Finley challenges us to rethink some of the normative materials and imagery used in our churches to better conform to the vision of Heaven described in scripture. I think there is much to be said for this approach, controversial…
Continue reading »Acoustical Considerations in Orthodox Church Design
As a designer of Orthodox churches, I am frequently asked whether a proposed church building will have good acoustics. Acoustics is a complex matter that cannot always be catagorized as simply “good” or “bad”. In order to shed some light on this topic, I am going to discuss the various acoustical characteristics encountered in churches,…
Continue reading »Orthodox Church Design Featured in The Pennsylvania Gazette
My design work for Orthodox Churches has been featured in an article in The Pennsylvania Gazette, the magazine of University of Pennsylvania (my alma mater). It includes an interview discussing how I came to my vocation and my philosophy of traditional church design, followed by a lengthy excerpt from the book Charleston Fancy. I am…
Continue reading »Andrew Gould Featured in New Book and New Website
Andrew Gould, founder of the Orthodox Arts Journal, has been featured in a new work by popular architectural writer Witold Rybczynski. The author of over twenty bestselling books, Rybczynski’s latest work is called Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City. The book is a history of Charleston architecture, told through the…
Continue reading »A Beautiful Church for Holy Cross Monastery in West Virginia
With great pleasure, I have developed a design for a new church for the Hermitage of the Holy Cross in West Virginia. In many ways, this design is the culmination of 15 years of thought, research, and experimentation on my part, and encapsulates the best of my ideas for Orthodox church design. I would like…
Continue reading »A Monastic Chapel for Spruce Island, Alaska
In a part of America that is rich with historic Orthodox churches, a new one, faithful to the local architectural tradition, is now under construction. In the spring of 2018 I travelled to Spruce Island, where St. Herman of Alaska lived from 1808 until his death in 1837. I had come to design a new…
Continue reading »The Paradise Pavilion
As a designer of Orthodox churches, it is unusual that my work would be featured in an art gallery. But just such an opportunity arose recently. I was asked to design the central pavilion for The City Luminous: Architectures of Hope in an Age of Fear, an exhibition on display this month in Charleston, SC.…
Continue reading »Beauty and Meaning Today – A Video Interview with Andrew Gould
In this 45-minute video, Jonathan Pageau interviews Andrew Gould, discussing his work and philosophy in the field of Orthodox church design as well as many other areas. It particularly addresses how Andrew adapts historical styles for modern needs, while keeping them fresh and approachable.
Continue reading »Church Architecture Doesn’t have to have the Same Objectives as Secular Architecture; An Interview with the Director of the Moscow Architectural Institute, Dimitry Shvidkovsky
Editor’s note: This article is reposted from orthochristian.com. It describes the current process by which church architects are trained in Russia, and the prevailing attitudes towards style, tradition, and innovation, in this field. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the contemporary rebirth of Russian church architecture. – A. Gould Since 2016, the leading Russian…
Continue reading »