I went to Salt Lake Acting Company yesterday, and got to talking about the old 19th Ward building that SLAC now own, complete with its un usual onion dome.

I also live near 4500 S in Holladay, where the "pagoda chapel" graces the neighborhood of 4500 S 2700 E.

For your viewing enjoyment of uncorrelated Mormon architecture,
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82654752547&v=photos

Pagoda chapel:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=96314334138&set=o.82654752547&type=1&theater

SLAC/19th Ward:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21548947@N00/219586025/

When I was a kid we had a building that one of the founding members of our ward designed. The baptisimal font was built into the stage. You'd lift the top off from the stage floor. I was baptised there. The classrooms were around a courtyard and at the end of the courtyard were some stairs that went up to a fenced-in lot that we also owned that had a playground and picnic area. We'd walk to Primary on Wednesdays from school and would play out there until time for Primary to start. We had many ward socials, weiner roasts, and fun times out there. I also remember a big nursery with toys for kids to play when they were to rowdy for sacrament meetings. I think the rule was that after you were baptised you had to stay in meetings. But my mother would let one of us take my baby brother to the nursery so we'd fight about who got to take him and mom could enjoy the meeting and not have to leave.

Course those were the days when people and families actually converted to the church. Go figure.

"The baptisimal font was built into the stage. You'd lift the top off from the stage floor."

Where is this building? It's extremely intriguing to me, as I had a TBM friend who saw something similar at a non-denominational christian church and got extremely offended!

in business rather than theology.

I'm guessing it's been eons since one of them had a professional background in the arts in any form. If ever.

Yes, they are all a bunch of white, geriatric businessmen who wouldn't recognize humanity if it bit them in the ass.

I just went to one in Brigham City for a family party. This had a couple of floors. The chapel had a balcony. One room was labeled "cry room". My favorite part was a winding staircase up to a room. The room had a ladder to go to the attic. I told my family I might still be going to church if it were in a building like that.

Here's a cool blog featuring old Ward architecture.

http://ldsarchitecture.wordpress.com/

Some of the best ones are former LDS chapels converted to other churches. I was recently at one in Berkeley that is now a Hare Krishna temple. There's one in SLC that is now a Tibetan Buddhist temple.

One in seattle (Queen Anne) is now a club/bar or restaurant. i understant that ChurchCo tried to prohibit serving of alcohol after they sold it...but (Guess What!)

The chapel and basketball court were upstairs.
Everything else was in the basement.
I believe the building now belongs to some other cult.

Couple in the UK that spring to mind

Cheltenham Stake Centre - Has stained glass windows in the chapel, the story I was told was that there was a mix up in the building process and some other place was supposed to get it, but in the end it was easier to leave in it.

Stratford Ward House - Was built from a old Jewish Synagogue, no longer in use as some pen pusher decided it was no longer compliant (lack of parking, near football ground, leaky roof)

My grandparents went to an unusual chapel. I was pretty small the last time I went, and I'm pretty sure they don't use the building anymore, but whether it was sold or demolished, I don't know.

It had three floors, a basement, main level and an upstairs that used space not overhead of the chapel.
The basement was all poured concrete with crappy vinyl on the floor. It looked like it had been assembled a little at a time, the floors were sloping in places, and took unexpected turns and curved in places.

I loved running in a loop, through the basement, up two flights, down the upstairs hall and back down two flights to do it again.

For some reason I was there after hours when we visited my grandparents over the weekend. One of them must have been ward clerk or librarian or something.

We also reserved the gym for Thanksgiving, and had enough people to put it to good use.

The gym and chapel looked very standard, just the rest of the building was unusual.
One of the stairwells was creatively partially open, and used glass bricks near the bottom. And it had the best kitchen I've ever seen in a church building. (Granted I haven't been to many, but it wasn't current standard.) As much floor space as a small house, with appliances and fridges all around and a massive central island also with appliances. (Although my memory of it is from barely above counter height, I was young.)

almost treated like thinking, creative and independent human beings and given a modicum of autonomy. Local congregations could, to some extent, make local decisions.

I don't know if that's what explains these unusual looking buildings. But I have been in some historical Mormon areas and heard the histories of how local persons worked on the designs and construction of their local church buildings.

Now, Mormonism truly runs on the McDonald's model for global corporate standardization. Just run down to a McChurch near you and get a new and improved McGospel treat. There are McMidget fun packs for the children too! To get the most out of your McMormon experience, sign up for a not-free fan club membership and receive a special semi-annual McMessage from the McProphet!

There's a former chapel (ward house?) in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho that is now the Greystone Manor bed & breakfast.

It's very nice.

The Garden Park ward below 12th East on Yale Avenue is unique. It was formerly a large house with out buildings, then converted into a church. The carriage house is still there, and at least used to be used as a classroom. The grounds are very well kept including a duck pond - people are assigned to feed the ducks. Lots of wedding receptions there.

The Yale Ward building up the hill about 14th East and Gilmer Drive has stained glass in the chapel and relief sculptures (I know there is a word for those) in the walls.

The Edgehill Ward around 1500 East and 1700 South was the beginning of church basketball. They have a huge basketball court, and in the basement at least used to have a large locker room with showers and a laundry. There is also a mural on the outside wall.

The Pagoda is interesting. It has a nice softball field next to it with concrete bleachers. I don't think they build them like that anymore.

Then there is the old Holladay chapel, that I think has been torn down. It had a balcony with seats around the basketball court, and a concession stand by the court. Great for tournaments.

I am a little sad that architecture has gone cookie-cutter. I grew up in a ward with a really unique building. Well apparently it isn't cookie cutter so they want to demolish this building and build a boring building. My mom doesn't understand that I would prefer to save the building instead of letting it get demolished so that a new shiny building can be put in its place. She got really offended.
I loved that the clock tower worked and would chime noon. The Elem school is right next door and I would always know when recess was over by the clock bong. There were so many ins and outs and twists and doors. So much fun as a child running around in that building.
I don't know why they have to destory this. Just build another building somewhere else and let this stay.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27911341@N07/3654835706/in/photostream