When one enters a car dealership, religion isn’t usually top-of-mind, unless the salesman’s spiel includes talk of a “heavenly” deal. That’s why the transformation of an abandoned auto dealership in Newport, Tenn., into a modern-looking church, is one innovative adaptive reuse projects of note.
Designed by Knoxville, Tenn.-based architects Studio Four Design for Memorial Baptist, the project not only created a new home and identity for the church, but did so with a run-down building that many thought best be destroyed.
“They wanted the renovation of the facility to reflect their traditional values in a more modern transitional aesthetic.”
“In acquiring a 1960’s era car dealership for its new home, the church wanted to create a facility for their ministry that would not only improve a derelict property but also establish an identity for the congregation and its culture,” says Stacy Cox, principal and director of business development for Studio Four Design. “They wanted the renovation of the facility to reflect their traditional values in a more modern transitional aesthetic.”
By restoring the dealership, Memorial Baptist was able to get the worship space they wanted at a price far below what a new church would have cost. The construction came in at approximately $1,061,000 or about $68 per square foot, which Cox notes is about half of what new construction would have cost on an undeveloped site.
“The majority of the cost savings was in the retention of the building structure and slab that was already in place, so the new construction consisted primarily of interior improvements with a small addition for a new lobby,” Cox says. “This allowed for the majority of the work to be in finishes and building infrastructure rather than new steel, foundations, and exterior materials.”
Furthermore, the parking lot was in decent shape to repair and re-seal. No additional site work or grading was required, which also eliminated a key cost typically associated with new construction. Additionally, new sidewalks were provided so as people entered the building they were walking on new concrete, and the limits of the site were dressed up, re-seeded and new landscaping was installed.
Getting a Plan
It was back in 2010 when Memorial Baptist Church was first founded under the leadership of Reverend Harold Ball, and has since passed on to Reverend John Hill. The church spent its first six years sharing a worship space at a nearby Presbyterian Church, before setting in motion plans for its own space. That began with the purchase of the former Chevron dealership, which it acquired via auction.
At the beginning of the project, it was clear to Cox that leadership at Memorial Baptist Church were looking to appeal to younger generations by bridging the gap between traditional Baptist church models and contemporary church models.
That strategy inspired the design, which incorporated both traditional church design elements in conjunction with an asymmetrical layout of the building that is more contemporary than traditional church plans.
... a new entry lobby ... provided a key circulation connection and created a landmark focal point as [visitors enter].
This included a new entry lobby that provided a key circulation connection and created a landmark focal point as people entered.
Inside, the facility boasts a worship center, adult and children’s classrooms, administrative space and a multi-purpose space with a connected kitchen. One section of the project featured a 350-seat auditorium with a stage, choir loft, baptistery and backstage support/utility spaces, while a fellowship/multi-purpose space was added behind that, which included the kitchen and restrooms to serve the area.
The wall construction was designed to be notably energy-efficient and offer an insulated interior environment and greater functionality.
To boost the church’s brand and identity, the exterior of the building utilizes limestone and brick applied in ways to reflect a more transitional design. The metal wall panels and CMU on the outside were also painted to match the new materials.
The original structural frame of the dealership, as well as floor slabs and the majority of the exterior materials, consisting of brick and metal panels, were kept. The brick was stained to complement the new brick selected for the addition, and the existing metal panels were painted to work with the rest of the exterior materials.
The church’s worship services are more traditional in nature and so its AVL needs were very minimal.
Rise of Adaptive Reuse
By taking advantage of unused spaces that are coming available in the retail and industrial real estate inventory, more churches today are being repurposed out of existing spaces. Reusing an existing building can not only save money, it can also help the community clean up an abandoned building which would otherwise be an eyesore.
“It can serve as a catalyst for other development to occur,” Cox says. “Not only is it a good use of monetary resources, it is also a good example of reducing the impact on the environment by reusing an existing structure. Projects like this are also great illustrations and analogies to reflect how the Gospel and a relationship with Christ can restore and transform our lives from hopelessness to a new purpose and life through Jesus Christ.”
