Steamboat Springs Church Remodel Creates Cohesive Space for Large and Small Gatherings
In 2012, Steamboat Springs’ Holy Name Catholic Church added a new sanctuary and chapel space that included an unfinished basement. Ten years later, the church decided it was time to finish the basement in the existing Fellowship Hall and remodel the previous Parish Hall to create one cohesive space that could act as a multi-purpose room for hosting events of all sizes, from small group bible studies to fellowship dinners and even wedding receptions.
The undulating ceiling changes color freely while flowing from space to space
In designing the space, the ultimate goal was to find a way to tie both halls together for larger events while creating the option for smaller, sectioned off rooms when needed. To do this, the Vertical Arts team created moveable partitions throughout the space that create small group spaces ranging from 10 to 250 guests.
When opening up both halls, which are connected by a lobby, the team also wanted to ensure the large open space felt cohesive. To tie the spaces together, the team used a 3D ceiling product called Arktura that creates flow and visual interest. The ceiling wave pattern runs throughout the entire project, weaving through fellowship hall, into the lobby and eventually into Parish Hall. The organic design allows for the large rooms to have a sense of connectedness. Above the wave ceilings task lighting that changes color was installed to give each event space its own feel – whether that be white mood lights for a speaker or colored lights that tie into a wedding color scheme.
Additionally, the team incorporated a tree of life mosaic in the center of the floor to represent various aspects of the Catholic faith. The adjacent benches are placed below display alcoves that create eye-catching spaces to display historic Catholic icons.
First impressions upon entering the newly design space feature lovely stained glass, a custom mosaic, a cozy bench area for overflow seating and a lighted cross inlay.
The new basement is also home to two kitchens – a commercial grade kitchen in the Fellowship Hall for large events, and a residential-style kitchen in Parish Hall to accommodate small groups and dinner events. The downstairs also houses a music room for choir and band rehearsal, as well as two 100-inch televisions in each hall and a commercial grade sound system for watching movies, speaking events and receptions.
Through the process, the team had to work within a fixed budget and consider all stakeholders – whether that be owners, the general public or even the Archdiocese.
Residential kitchen pictured above – used for smaller events and church activities.
Pictured above – Industrial Kitchen
“At Vertical Arts, no matter the project, we are committed to meeting client expectations in a creative way. In this case, we enjoyed the challenge of approaching this project in a different way than most commercial architects would given our experiences in single family projects,” said Chandler.