My first choice for my blogs is St. Elijah Orthodox Church in Oklahoma City. I chose this because I attended this church for 13 years and I spent a large portion of my childhood exploring this building. I found it to be extremely interesting because the building is composed of multiple annexes that were added as the years went on. There was a “new area” that I would sneak off to during mass time. I found ways to hide in the Sunday school classrooms with my friends. Although it must have seemed disjointed to many adults, I felt that the building was full of interesting nooks and crannies.

I always found this building to be very calming and opulent. I think the light exterior gave me that feeling of peace. In spite of its size, the church looked welcoming to me. The light color and the arches drew me in. These details made it look like a place of worship rather than a huge conference center or something. The windows let in light that highlighted the icons and beautiful decorations. This showed me how architecture can illicit feelings in those who experience it. A building can make you feel welcome just like a person can because of the architecture. Considering this expanded my view of architecture and its effects.

It looks very large and traditional from the exterior. I would always notice the dome with the cross when my family drove by on the way to school. It seemed distinctly Orthodox and it made me feel proud of my religion. The arches also gave it a middle eastern feel that reflected the mostly Lebanese parish.