Church Design Magazine – May 1, 2018
Although a multisite megachurch with weekly attendance close to 12,000, Free Chapel prides itself on providing the “neighborhood” feel of a smaller church. As part of that philosophy, Free Chapel recently added the Chapel on McEver at its flagship Gainesville, Ga., location, with the idea that it would serve as a dedicated wedding chapel complete with the space and grounds for the reception.
The Chapel on McEver project was part of an overall campus expansion project for Free Chapel. The expansion involved a complete renovation of the main building, including the addition of the new chapel, an outdoor wedding rotunda with a covered reception pavilion and open-air plaza, an amphitheater, a large fountain, and a hospitality terrace.
“The client wanted the expansion to include three things—a chapel that had a very classical old-world style with a twist of modern design, outdoor space that could be used for a multitude of events and event sizes, and a water feature with an outdoor baptistery,” says Jeff Crocker of Gainesville’s Brewster and Crocker Architects, the lead architect on the project.
To accomplish the desired look, Crocker and his team studied many different types of facilities from around the world, he reports.