Augustana Lutheran Church, organized by Swedish immigrants in 1903, was originally located on the corner of 54th Street and Kimbark Avenue. Today's church building was constructed in the 1960s as part of the urban renewal project in Hyde Park. The church architect was Edward Dart (1922–1975).
When the congregation interviewed Dart, he was asked what he thought about “contemporary structures.” Dart's response — “Architecture has nothing to do with archaeology” — must have been what the congregation was looking for. It commissioned Dart to design a place of worship that was “individualized, dignified, and unique, worthy to be placed in the service of mankind to the glory of God.”
The church was dedicated on May 26, 1968. The building and land cost $410,000. The 5-rank Holtkamp pipe organ was dedicated the following Christmas.
Dart's appreciation of Frank Lloyd Wright is evident in the hidden entry. The building captures the spirit of compression and release. The 55th Street entry is a compressed space that releases into an open courtyard, The original low concrete narthex ceiling has recently been replaced by a higher ceiling and skylight. The compression dynamic is now less apparent as one enters the building, but a sense of release still captures the spirit when entering the sanctuary.
The corpus of the PROCESSIONAL CROSS was given to Augustana in 1970 by Phil Clark as a memorial tribute to the Reverend Clarence A. Johnson. It was created in the West African Sultanate of Bamoun, Middle Cameroon. The Christ figure is influenced by the artistic traditions of West Africa. It utilizes the lost-wax method, in which the figure is first made in wax, then covered with clay. Molten metal is poured into a small opening in the clay, and the melting wax drains from the bottom of the casting. When cooled, the clay is removed, and the figure is complete.
The HARVEST BANNER on the back wall of the sanctuary was made by members of the congregation in 1975 for the installation of a new pastor. The GUATAMALAN WEAVING over the offertory table was made by Highland Mayans. The text reads, “You see the lilies of the field and feed the sparrows of the air. You multiply the loaves of bread and change the water into wine. Come to our table as host and guest.”
The ECCE HOMO (“Behold the Man”) sculpture in the courtyard is the work of Egon Weiner (1906–1987), a professor at The Art Institute who fled Vienna in 1938. The sculpture, originally created in plaster, stood for ten years in the balcony of Rockefeller Chapel. When Weiner, a member of Augustana, sold the work to the congregation, the statue was shipped to Norway, where it was cast in bronze. The sculpture was placed in the courtyard of the new church, and the courtyard walls were built around it. Christ stands quietly, with folded hands. The pose may be Weiner's response to the chaos of the war he left behind as a young man.
The NARTHEX FURNITURE was created in 2005 from red oak, much of it recycled from wood removed from the church during the renovation. A camel and sheep wool BLANKET created by nomadic Rimiibi herders in Mali, near Timbuktu, hangs on the south wall.
The STENCIL PRINTS in the narthex are the work of Sadao Watanabe (1913–1996). Watanabe was one of Japan's best known soaku hanga (stencil printing) artists. He created his unique style through the study of Byzantine icons, ancient Chinese Buddhist illustrations, and Japanese folk art. He was part of a group of artists who rejected the workshop method and insisted on making everything themselves. Layers of kozo paper were laminated with persimmon tannin to produce sheets that were both flexible and waterproof. Separate stencils were often cut for each color. The lightest colors were usually printed first. Watanabe became a Christian in 1930 after recovering from tuberculosis. He dedicated his life to producing Christian art. These prints show Jesus blessing the children and Jesus being blessed at the Temple.
The Gustavus Adolphus Room, located at the end of the office corridor, contains a third Watanabe print, showing the story of Jonah. This print is on loan to the church from the Niedenthal family. Also in this room is a CRUCIFIX given to the congregation from the Jesuit School of Theology, which worshiped at Augustana until 1981. Two INK DRAWINGS of the church were done by artist Greg Lesher in 1982 and given to the parish in 2007. The tables and lounge chairs were designed and crafted by Pastor Gorder. The “mission” chairs around the tables were created for Augustana by an Amish carpenter in Indiana and were purchased by Carol Albright in recognition of John Albright's teaching adult education on Sunday mornings. In the corridor leading to the Gustavus Adolphus Room hangs a silver ETHIOPIAN CROSS, a gift from an Ethiopian seminary student.
The WOOD CARVING of the family group, located on the stairway landing, was carved in Mexican mahogany by E. Vitex. The carving was a gift from the people of St. Thomas Catholic Church when Augustana was dedicated in 1968.
The woodcuts located in the back hallway of the new building were made by a member of the Ghanaian congregation that worships at Augustana. Mr. Quincy, who originated from Tama, Ghana, created the LAST SUPPER and CRUCIFIXION from natural, unvarnished woods.
The CHURCH YARD, a columbarium for ashes of deceased members, was created in 1987. The curved brick wall on the northwest corner of the property connects the structure to the curved sanctuary tower. The congregation asked Egon Weiner to create a sculpture for this area. Weiner was ill at the time, so he suggested that the congregation use the statue of ST. PAUL that he had prepared as a model for another church. The disciple is speaking the words “He is Risen.”
The parish dedicated a renovation and a 4500 square foot addition on Transfiguration Sunday, February 6, 2005. Nagle Hartray was the architect and Berglund Construction was the general contractor for the $1.7 million project. The narthex was transformed into a brighter, more contemporary gathering space. The central axis of the building now reflects the Christian paradigm of loving God (the sanctuary) and loving neighbor (the community room). ADA-compliant restrooms, a new office suite, new classrooms, an elevator, and a state-of-the-art sound system were included in the 2005 expansion. The garden was created by Charles Moore, a member of the parish.
In 2008, a $55,000 “phase II” renovation was completed to classrooms in the “old” section of the second floor with new lighting, doors, and flooring. Security lighting in the parking area was also completed.
Augustana Lutheran Church continues to expand and enhance the aesthetic dimensions of its building and gardens. The congregation is designing a new master plan for external features of lighting and signage. New handbells were purchased in 2008, dedicated to the memory of Pastor Leroy Norquist. In 2009, double doors were installed in the GA Room, These doors were obtained from the Robie House during its renovations in 2002.
In 2009 a new 20-rank, tracker pipe organ was commissioned from Wahl Organbuilders, Appleton, Wisconsin. It will be installed in the spring of 2011.
Augustana strives to comply with green use of technology and space. The community space is available for private use.
We hope you'll enjoy your visit, and we invite you to join us as a community of faith.