Community Center St. Bartholomews Church (New York City, New York) | community center / hall, 1928_construction

 community center / hall, 1928_construction

5-story community house completed in 1928 as part of the St. Bartholomew's complex. Designed by Mayers, Murray and Philips (the successor firm to the original church's architect, Bertram Goodhue), it continues with the same exterior materials as the church’s, subtly variegated salmon and cream-colored bricks and creamy Indiana limestone. The community house is not only set back from Park Avenue, but the building itself is stepped in three principal segments, creating roof terraces. This design also serves to help minimize the architectural presence of the community house in relation to the church.

The building also has an entrance pavilion that reflects the design of the church. Designed as a cluster of stepped cubes with flat roofs, the community house is Art Deco in form, with Byzantine-inspired ornament of the sort employed on the church. The Community House was originally built to house Sunday school classrooms, offices, and the like.

The tympanum over the door leading into the auditorium depicts Christ surrounded by saints. The arch above includes a number of biblical symbols. The doorway giving access to 50th Street also has a tympanum with a carving of Christ. The community house is set back at both the 3rd and 5th floors to afford a better view of the church’s south transept with its “wheel” window and to provide space for the Great Terrace between it and Park Avenue. In the basement, there is a 60-foot swimming pool, a gymnasium, a basketball court and locker rooms. With the terrrace now housing a restaurant (called Inside Park), the former women's locker room now houses an institutional-grade kitchen. The St. Bartholomew’s Pre-School occupies the two upper floors of the building and its playground is on the roof. The old Community Club, which lasted almost 80 years, is now defunct, a victim, it is said, of the commercial gyms so numerous in New York City today. The pool and gymnasium are still used, primarily by fee-paying outside groups.

www.stbarts.org/community-groups/