Southside Bethel Baptist Church
In 2020, Southside Bethel Baptist Church commissioned a rendering project to reimagine their sanctuary, housed within a historic converted vaudeville theatre. The goal was to balance reverence, functionality, and visual presence—preserving a sense of tradition while modernizing the space for contemporary worship and community use.
This project marked a unique crossover between my theatrical design background and the architectural needs of a sacred environment, calling for a different kind of storytelling: one rooted in symbolism, ceremonial flow, and the evolving needs of a modern congregation.
The design highlights a strong focal structure behind the pulpit, drawing the eye to a recessed, backlit cross framed by minimalist columns. The color palette—deep blue walls, rich red carpeting, and polished gold accents—evokes warmth and tradition, while strategic lighting and integrated screens modernize the space for streaming and hybrid services.
This rendering underscores the potential of visualization in bridging heritage and renewal. By acknowledging the theatre’s historic identity while emphasizing sacred symbolism and modern usability, the project created a vision that honored both the past and future of Southside Bethel Baptist Church.
It stands as an example of how architectural visualization can provide clarity and inspiration for spaces of worship, ensuring that design serves not only function, but also presence, community, and faith.
