Does It Look Like a Church?

Megachurches represent a development in the history of Christian church architecture, whose aesthetics commonly defy expectations for the design of sacred space. For an individual interested in Christian church architecture or the built environment overall, approaching the megachurch is challenging if one does not necessarily find the attendant architectural decisions to hold design value. However, megachurches deserve a second look. Analysis of megachurch architecture reveals a series of intentional design decisions that question traditional categorizations of what constitutes a church building, how church space is utilized, and the understandings for whom churches are designed. Notably, megachurch architecture conceives of the user in ways that lead directly to growth in attendance, as well as fluidity in terms of access to and engagement with the megachurch campus. The incorporation of architectural references selected from everyday life and the commercial world is also central to the design paradigm as megachurches seek to implement a postmodern space of hybridity.