F r a m e s o f R e v e r e n c e

A Thesis on Theistic Urbanism

During the Great Migration in the 1930s, Manhattan’s African American
population coming from the South was concentrated in Harlem, where
housing was most affordable and work was accessible. Over time, most
of the established churches were bought out by African American
congregations who would adapt the space to the needs of the worship. At
the time, Harlem’s major religion was Southern Baptist. However, because
of issues of access and internal disparities within congregations, more
informal churches popped up as well over time in people’s apartments
and bought out storefronts to meet the varied needs of the people.

Today there are around 400 houses of worship, both informal and formal,
concentrated in Harlem. They range from various denominations of
Christianity to Islam. Where this variety was once a strength, it is now a
weakness. As shifts in the population and an increasingly secular society
estrange these small Houses of Worship from the community and put
them at risk of being bought out by developers who will then take the
agency of the worship practices into their hands.

By examining the Christ Community Church of Harlem as a case study,
this thesis aims to enforce the slowly fading infrastructure of Faith at an
urban scale within Harlem. The proposed is a phased strategy that caters
to three types of urbanites, the local, the congregation, and the tourist in
terms of program, accessibility, and appeal.

Advisors João Almeida and Tao DuFour

Cornell University

Spring 2018