Good Faith Chapel, Cathedral of St Philip in Atlanta

The main building, begun in 1933 and completed in 1962, was designed by Francis Palmer Smith, deploying a mix of neo-Gothic and Arts & Crafts styles.

The concept for the new 2026 extension was defined by the Dean, Sam Candler, with the aim of providing a mid-sized worship space, with flexible seating arrangements, excellent acoustics for the spoken word and usable for less formal worship and social occasions. See The Dean's vision.

The new Good Faith Chapel is based on an octagonal layout, lit by a 20’ structural oculus skylight (reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome), which provides dramatic natural lighting as the position and elevation of the sun varies throughout both the days and seasons.

The Good Faith Chapel also features five large integrated LED video screens which are designed to act as ‘variable stained glass windows’, capable of projecting dynamic seasonal imagery (such as Easter, Pentecost, St Francis’ Day etc.), as well as images of art, stained glass, contemplative landscapes … and the current hymns and words in the service sheets. The images can change, even during a service.

Luke Hughes was commissioned to design all the furniture: moveable altar, clergy chairs, credence table, lectern, sound desks and seating, using the stacking oak LH33 ‘St Edmund’s chair’ (see: LH33 'lookbook'). The whole ensemble is designed to move easily and be stored in the basement.

The octagonal altar is made from cast bronze, patinated blue, with gold leaf details, and has been designed to complement the striking star-shapes in the vaulted ceiling. The top has a black glass and convex mirrors that echo the patterns of the architecture, the reflections from the video screens and the changing sunlight from the oculus – ‘bringing heaven down to earth’, as one of the younger members of the cathedral community commented at the dedication service.

Architecture – Cooper Carry (https://www.coopercarry.com/projects/cooper-carry-atlanta-office/)

Construction - Holder Construction Company (https://www.holderconstruction.com)

Project Management - Katherine Zanaty, of Yellow Bird Project Management (https://yellowbirdpm.com)