St. Thomas More Church wins architectural award

Friday, Mar. 22, 2019

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS—Throughout the centuries since Christ’s birth, light, which he epitomizes, has spoken to many believers in a special way. As the opening verses of the Gospel of John states,“… this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

One of the numerous architectural reflections of this light is evident in St. Thomas More Catholic Church. The building, which has garnered many awards since it was constructed in 1993, recently received the 25-Year Award from the American Institute of Architects’ Utah chapter.

The 25-Year Award showcases buildings that set a precedent, according to the American Institute of Architects website. “The award is conferred on a building that has stood the test of time for 25-35 years and continues to set standards of excellence for its architectural design and significance,” it says.

“St. Thomas More Parish continues to be an elegant expression of its time and place,” the jury said. “The natural light is brilliantly manipulated.  The inventive light shelves give sunlight an almost three-dimensional quality, while the grid of stained glass is a visually restful termination of the room.  All the details and materials are simple, almost background elements.  As a result, the interaction among worshipers and between the man-made and the natural is intensified.  A memorable space.”

The whole building is an “expression of the celebration of light and the view and the place where this church was built,” said Mike Stransky, a Cathedral of the Madeleine parishioner who was the principal architect on the project for Gillies Stransky Brems Smith. 

The church’s stained glass window wall was designed by local artist Anna Bliss, a nationally recognized expert in the use of color. A longtime Cathedral of the Madeleine parishioner, Bliss died in 2015. 

Named “Light of Grace” and described by the jury as  “inventive light shelves” and perhaps the church’s most distinctive feature, the wall was installed by artist Willy Littig. A purple cross is framed in each of the side archways. The light shelves placed above each window on the east façade reflect the sunlight onto the church’s sloped ceiling.  

“It is absolutely stunning when the sun comes up over the mountains, especially on Sunday mornings when the church is full,” pastor Father John Evans said.

The wall “speaks to the order of God and of creation breaking through it,” he said. With a darker base, it gives the impression of the church rising up “like our prayers, like the mountains.” 

Local artists produced many of the other elements in the church, including the altar, the baptismal font, ambo and wood of the tabernacle, statues, Stations of the Cross and even vigil candles.

“There’s no place in the world that has the art like you’ll see in that church,” Stransky said.

Some of the members of the parish’s building committee, transplants from outside Utah, originally wanted to have a more traditional church like those they had come from, but the design team helped them understand that a different building would better complement the site, Stransky said.

GSB convinced the committee to “do something more that allows the building to connect with nature as opposed to being ‘cloistered,’” said Scott Henriksen, project manager at the time. “Before we knew it, we had something that was magical.”

“Overall, the building has stood the test of time,” Henriksen added. “It’s still a wonderful place to go visit, the setting and the opportunity to view nature in all its glory and to enjoy the opportunity to worship there.”