When a landmark building loses its original tenant or purpose,
finding a successful new use is a primary goal for advocates of historic
preservation.
That explains the pleasure preservationists felt with the non-profit
Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra bought the Central Lutheran Church, a
1950 landmark designed by renowned architect Pietro Belluschi.
PYP officials saw a 500-seat sanctuary as an auditorium for
musical events, church offices that would serve as administrative headquarters
and Sunday-school classrooms that would become places for individual music
lessons and practice.
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| Sanctuary main floor will contain individual seats for performances |
That said, with the building sale completed, the PYP faces
challenges in renovating the historic structure with a goal of making it last
another 50 to 75 years. Issues include a
new roof, removal and replacement of rotted exterior woodwork, addition of
insulation, reconstruction of the bell tower, and acoustical changes to the sanctuary
aimed at improving musical projection.
Nevertheless, designer and architects working on the extensive
renovations said all internal revisions are being designed to that they can be
removed at some future time to restore the church’s original architectural
design, should the need arise.
Renovations will take much of the next year. Although many of the orchestra’s 180 students
already practice in the building, public performances are not expected until
2027. PYP’s large orchestra will
continue to perform at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall downtown, but the
organization’s smaller ensembles will perform at the new headquarters in the
Irvington neighborhood. Parking at the
Irvington location will be available at a large church parking lot and the
Zeller Chapel of the Roses Funeral Home located nearby.
The PYP’s new home in Irvington is a historic homecoming for
the oldest continually-operating youth orchestra in the United States. It was founded in 1924 as the Portland Junior
Symphony Association by Mary V. Dodge who taught music at Irvington Elementary
School and led the Irvington School Orchestra.
The junior symphony subsequently changed its name to the Portland Youth
Philharmonic Association. Over the
years, youth membership in the various PYP programs has ranged as high as 220,
most ranging in age from elementary school through high school.
All in all, renovation of former church building is an
inspiring message about the power of creative architecture and the beauty of
great music.
----Fred Leeson
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