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Demolished: Twenty-eighth Church of Christ, Scientist
A graceful example of expressive Mid-Century Modernism and an excellent example of the power of integrated landscaping.
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The congregation of the Twenty-eighth Church of Christ, Scientist held its first service in a small Westwood storeroom in 1928, and grew fast enough to purchase two lots at Hilgard Avenue and Lindbrook Drive in 1931. In 1935, the first church was completed at the site, serving its members until continued growth through the 1940s necessitated the construction of a much larger edifice.
The congregation hired noted Los Angeles architect Maynard Lyndon to design a new building. Completed in 1955, the new Twenty-eighth Church of Christ, Scientist is a graceful example of expressive Mid-Century Modernism and an excellent example of the power of integrated landscaping. The building’s main façade, facing the corner of Hilgard and Lindbrook, features a curved concrete wall punctured with tiny round openings like a monumental pegboard. The rest of the building echoes the same curving motif like the indoor auditorium it is, its simple concrete walls ornamented by the lush green landscaping around it.
Landscape architect Garrett Eckbo of Eckbo, Dean, Austin and Williams (EDAW) designed integrated courtyards to link the outdoors and indoors together, and to provide a beautiful transition between the main building and the property’s older structures.
The courtyards include sunken gardens, various tree species, concrete planters, and strips of green grass. The church was not officially dedicated until 1961, following the church’s philosophy that dedication should not take place until the debt of construction was fully paid.
The church building was demolished in April 2017.