St. Mark Catholic Church  |  Southwest Ranches, Fl

Our St. Mark Catholic church project is entering the final stages of construction with a concentration on the application of finishes.

The project entails the creation of a 1,400 seat church with extensive narthex and gathering functionality and an administrative office building. These structures work in concert with existing community and elementary school buildings to form a cohesive parish campus within tight site limitations. This campus is created by linking the existing educational and community buildings to the new church and administrative building by employing a covered arcade which forms a central courtyard between all facilities. In this manner, a community gathering core is formed for outdoor gatherings, services and procession with a protected circulation path at its periphery. All facilities and parking are thus connected with protection from the strong south Florida sun and rains associated with the region. The arcade also provides a transition from the busy vehicular routes at the parish’s exterior to the quiet zone at the center of the property.

The program calls for a strong visual identity to be made from the adjacent highway. This is achieved both through the scale of the church’s massing and through the use of forms historically associated with church structures, in particular a bell tower. The main entrance is punctuated by a covered porte cochere for vehicular drop-off. One then enters a gracious Narthex. This social gathering space and processional point transition to the nave is marked by a marble fountain and clerestory window band above. East and West of the Narthex are ancillary spaces for Sacristy, Ministers, Bridal and Funeral, Gifts, Men, Women, and Storage. A connector links the Narthex to an ambulatory which surrounds the central octagonal worship space ascending to a lantern clerestory of stained glass.

The altar is located at the center of the space. Fan shaped seating around the circular bema provides proximity to the altar for all parishioners. A slightly pitched floor enhances sight lines and adds to the sense of nearness to the altar.

The edifice, although contemporary in plan and structure, is inspired by the rich tradition of Christian church forms – the octagonal plan, the arched openings of the ambulatory, the bell tower, and the large arched windows. Finishes inside and out emphasize solidity and endurance and maintain a literal and psychological coolness in the south Florida climate evocative of the older stone churches of antiquity. The finish palette is of natural materials; stone and pre-cast stone, wood and stained glass, with highlights of polished brass filigree.