Christ Our Hope Bapistry Pool

Christ Our Hope Bapistry Pool

Seattle, WA

SSF and Stephen Lee Architects teamed together on the Christ Our Hope church located on the first floor of The Josephinum on 2nd and Stewart. Constructed in 1908, the Josephinum was initially known as the New Washington Hotel and was a high-end destination hotel. In 1960, the Catholic Archdiocese purchased the building for affordable housing. In 2010, SSF worked with Stephen Lee to transform the first floor into Christ Our Hope Church and upgraded the old dining room into a commercial kitchen and parish meeting rooms. In later years, the other side of the main lobby was renovated for Parish offices and more meeting rooms.

In 2017, Christ Our Hope Church in Seattle completely reconstructed a previous baptismal font to allow for a full immersion Baptistry pool in a small worship space. The font comprises an infinity pool with an elevated structure 24” above the floor. The height ensures safety. The rectangular plan reflects the shapes in the decorative ceiling above. The white stone ties in with other liturgical elements.

The Baptistry Pool received an International Awards Program for Religious Art & Architecture – Renovation Award from Faith & Form. It also won the Religious Arts Award from Partners for Sacred Places. This competition hones the best in global architecture, liturgical design, and art for religious spaces.