Church architecture - the 1950s

[AllWise]

I was reading on another site someone said the "ugly" church buildings (generic multi-purpose block buildings, and bizzare avante garde monstrosties) did not begin after Vatican II, but that it began in the post-war 1940s and 1950s.

I wasn't alive back in those days, but could someone tell me if this is an example of the typical parish churches built in the 1950s?


It is plain and simple, compared to the ornately detailed Gothic wonders built pre-1940, but it is still very traditional looking, compared to the post-Vatican II buildings.  I like this style, and would not mind if this was a blueprint for new parishes to be built.

Here is another example of a more simple, yet traditional church that should be an example for new parishes, and still could be built without going into a 50 year debt.


...and this...


After all, they all can't look like this, unfortunately:

[Someone1776]

1950s

[Unum Sint]

And yet as ugly as those are, I can identify them all as Churches.

[AllWise]

1950s

OK, that one is ugly. 

[JacafamalaRedux]

You want 1950's ugly? I can do better. I have uglier than that right here. Circa 1980's--I think? Was Protestant, now a Catholic Church. New ugly.

[JacafamalaRedux]

After all, they all can't look like this, unfortunately:

What's up with the six pointed star? What's that?

[AllWise]

What's up with the six pointed star? What's that?

Probably the star of David to acknowledge the Old Testament and/or Jewish roots of Catholicism.

You want 1950's ugly? I can do better. I have uglier than that right here. Circa 1980's--I think? Was Protestant, now a Catholic Church. New ugly.

This is perhaps the UGLIEST Catholic Church in the history of the world, in Vienna Austria

I can't decide if it looks satanic, or like a porn club.

[ResiduumRevertetur]

This is perhaps the UGLIEST Catholic Church in the history of the world, in Vienna Austria

I can't decide if it looks satanic, or like a porn club.

That is truly hideous.

[SaintSebastian]

The churches near me built in the 50s are mostly like the one in the top picture in the OP. They tend to be simple inside as well without a reredos, etc.

Thate being said, I went to an "interesting" cathedral once in Hartford, Connecticut. Its design was submitted and construction began in 1957, and it was finished in 1962--so it was designed for the TLM. On the other hand, it looks very sci-fi on the outside, and has lots of un-traditional versions of traditional things (like the baldichinum) on the inside. It also has a relief on the outside of St. Joseph stretching out his arms over various peoples including a guy wearing shorts, an eskimo, and the Pope wearing the tiara. Seeing modern style architecture and art designed to be fitted around the TLM was very weird. You can get a little feel for it here:

http://www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/ca...lding.html

[Unum Sint]

The churches near me built in the 50s are mostly like the one in the top picture in the OP. They tend to be simple inside as well without a reredos, etc.

Thate being said, I went to an "interesting" cathedral once in Hartford, Connecticut. Its design was submitted and construction began in 1957, and it was finished in 1962--so it was designed for the TLM. On the other hand, it looks very sci-fi on the outside, and has lots of un-traditional versions of traditional things (like the baldichinum) on the inside. It also has a relief on the outside of St. Joseph stretching out his arms over various peoples including a guy wearing shorts, an eskimo, and the Pope wearing the tiara. Seeing modern style architecture and art designed to be fitted around the TLM was very weird. You can get a little feel for it here:

http://www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/ca...lding.html

It looks odd but I can still tell its a Church and Catholic.