Friday, September 27, 2013

…, sleep well and dream of large structures.*

*(Yes, that’s not an exact quote.)

At 420 feet (128 m) tall, the Church Office Building is the second tallest building in Salt Lake, and Utah for that matter.   The Wells-Fargo Center is a whopping 2 feet (.6 m) taller, despite having 4 fewer floors, only because of the 2 heliports on top.

Built in 1973, it towered above the rest of the city until well into the 80’s, didn’t get beat out as tallest until 1998.

I took these pictures as the sun was setting, if you want to see more, unrelated, sunset pictures click the link below.

P.S. – You may not be a Utahn if… you have to ask what church I’m talking about.  You can find just about every religion on the planet here in Utah, but “the church” almost always refers to the LDS Church.

9 comments:

Lisa Shafer said...

And, as you, Max, were not raised as a Mormon, you may not know that the nickname for the Church Office Building is "The Great And Spacious Building." This is because there is a very famous story early in the Book of Mormon in which the prophet Lehi has a dream. In the dream, there is a "strait and and narrow path" leading to a heavenly reward, but, of course, some people stray from the path -- even though there is a "rod of iron" to use as a guide. Many of those who stray from the path are "worldly," and these go to a "great and spacious building," from where they laugh at and mock those who stay on the path and reach the tree of life (which has this really spiffy glowing fruit stuff on it). Hence the irony that the largest building in Utah is (okay, WAS) something that belonged to the LDS church. And hence the nickname for the building. :)

Max Sartin said...

You're right, I didn't know that. Thanks for the insight.

Lisa Shafer said...

Oh, and your photos are great. As always. :)

Gilly said...

Frankly, I think those buildings look really grim and forbidding, whoever uses them! The thought of working in something that resembles an ants nest or a wasp nest gives me the shivers!

Mind you, the photos are good!

Bob Scotney said...

A building with very clean lines that could be almost anything so the Church connection was a surprise.

carmilevy said...

That is a cool backstory - and given the 70s-era brutalist/modernist architecture, it's easy to see that the designers probably had that in mind as they sketched its original form.

I love how you've captured it in the varying light.

21 Wits said...

Wow, great photos Max, nice detail too, in each.... I like the quote, just like you posted it.... all will sleep well as they reach high into the sky.....long live each and every single one.

Alexia said...

Really interesting photos, Max (and the information, too, Lisa!). I like all of the different moods you have shown it in.
I do have to agree with Gilly, though. I can't find a monolithic structure like this attractive or appealing...

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Inside, it's just a big office...I've worked in plenty!

Nice pics, Max.
~