Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2700 Dover Avenue
Fairfield, California

CJA collaborated with former State Architect Harry Hallenbeck on this one-thousand (1000) seat sanctuary building. The design is organized around two large cylindrical forms, one at the narthex and the other at the altar, and sloping roof wings symmetrically placed on either side. The exterior materials are predominantly cement plaster walls with metal roof panels that span as far as sixty-five (65) feet. A large art glass glazed opening is placed at the back of the reservation chapel as a focal element.

The design of the church was driven by its liturgical function, the site restraints, and the need to be compatible with the "Dome" (as the existing Parish Center is affectionately called). The worship space is a segmental radial plan that is shaped to allow close participation of the assembled, and contains a central axis (aisle) connecting all the basic elements of the church: Narthex, Baptistry, Nave, Sanctuary, and Reservation Chapel. The worship space also contains a raised platform for the Altar, Ambo and Presider's Chair. This platform is part of a circle in plan that is split down the middle by a fourteen (14) foot wide by twenty-eight (28) foot high custom sculptured glass partition and full height wood-paneled walls. The other half of the circle houses the Reservation Chapel, which serves as a place for quiet prayer and devotion by individuals or small groups.