How about a church that looks like a ship sailing on Hollywood Boulevard? That’s the Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church. This church stands at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue. It overlooks the Hollywood Freeway. The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church is a landmark.
The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church was founded in 1918. It moved to this location in 1962. Architect Robert Burman designed it. He was an Adventist himself. Burman designed many Modern churches in Southern California.
Some people see the Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church as Le Corbusier-inspired. They think it’s like Notre Dame du Haut church in Ronchamp. The main sanctuary has a curving lavender battlement. A giant metal spire tops it. A decorative concrete block wall holds it back from Hollywood Boulevard.
The sides of the Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church have angled walls. They look like fins. They sweep back from the curving front. Burman thought curves expressed grace better than straight lines. He wanted to create calm and compassion. He also aimed for redemption. He softened corners in his church designs.
Light streams through irregular openings inside the Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It highlights rounded apse. It also highlights other soft folded planes. Some admire the church’s whimsical ship-like shape. They like the glistening glass tile cladding. They also admire the tall spire. Others dislike the awkward entrance. It faces the parking lot. They dislike the defensive concrete walls. They also dislike the tiny window openings. One critic called it “God’s own gas station”.
The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church is committed to following God. It follows Him in the way of Jesus. The church is shaped by scripture. It welcomes people of all backgrounds. The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church expresses God’s beauty. It does this through a multicultural community. This community includes multiple generations. It is open to the leading of God’s Spirit. The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church is a sign of God’s reign. It is a witness and foretaste of it. It is a community befriending the city. The church believes God loves Hollywood. He calls them to love it on His behalf. They extend God’s friendship without judgment. They fearlessly love the least and the lost. The Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church embraces the pain of the city.