New Kingdom Hall Design in Mansfield, OH

[Shawnster]

Posted to a Witness Facebook group I belong to.  (Our International Brotherhood).

 

 

One story building, one main Hall with a capacity of 180's,second Hall with capacity of 50's with big monitor inside, and all glass, sound proof, 2 rest rooms another extra rest room for family. Room for mother with baby. Room for elders meeting, library, and storeroom.

[Ahuvah]

Is the extra height to accommodate the large screens? 

[Lance]

Usually with a flat roof .. All mechanical ventilation in the drop down ceiling.. And top of walls not level with flat roof .. So it hides any mechanical on the roof .. Saves vandalization of equipment...

[New World Explorer]

Let's put it  mildly ... I'll need to convince myself to this design.It just looks like a square box with strangely positioned windows 

I think of it as a very efficient , save money building and with so many Kingdom Halls needed around the world perhaps that was a driving point behind approval for this design. 

Well it's a place of worship and not architectural competition after all. 

Local brothers must be happy to have a new Kingdom Hall ! 

 

[nanceebgd46]

It looks more like an industrial building...but, once they add the landscaping, maybe it will soften the look?

[Bob]

How about we not be so quick to give our critiques about an incomplete building? There is obviously a benefit to using this design that we will see once we get into the swing of using the Hall.

 

Lets just support the arrangement, and trust those in charge of making the decisions.

[Tortuga]

53 minutes ago, Bob said:

There is obviously a benefit to using this design that we will see once we get into the swing of using the Hall.

It will be easier to camouflage  during the GT, just hang a phony business sign on it and no one will recognize it as a KH.

 

[Friends just call me Ross]

11 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

It will be easier to camouflage  during the GT, just hang a phony business sign on it and no one will recognize it as a KH.

 

[nanceebgd46]

1 hour ago, Bob said:

How about we not be so quick to give our critiques about an incomplete building? There is obviously a benefit to using this design that we will see once we get into the swing of using the Hall.

 

Lets just support the arrangement, and trust those in charge of making the decisions.

   I already DO support the arrangement and trust those in charge of making the decisions....my comment was not putting down the buildings

   design...I was just saying that the new look of our Kingdom Hall model, is so different than we are use to, that it will naturally take time for us to adjust

   and adapt to it.

   

Edited April 5, 2016 by nanceebgd46
changed a word

[JustLikeDorcas]

I'm so excited we get the TV monitors installed in our hall this weekend. Our congregation went to help another congregation with the tract campaign for the memorial. They had the TV monitors on and a couple did a brief demo for the meeting for field service. They played the memorial video, it looked so beautiful played on the screens. I'm sorry but its the little things that excite me. HA HA HA!!!   

 

[Dustparticle]

Simple and nice. Much easier to float if flood come through.

[ladybug]

The 1st one completed with this design is in NJ.     I must admit that as it was beiing built I said to myself that it "looks like a warehouse."     As was stated above wait until  the grounds are completed. 

 

The completion of the NJ KH..... the KH is absolutely beautiful.    Everyone loves it!

[Friends just call me Ross]

48 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

It will be easier to camouflage  during the GT, just hang a phony business sign on it and no one will recognize it as a KH.

 

 

How's this for a disguise?

[Miss Bea]

Changes are hard. We may not love'em, but we go along, and eventually...remember when we stopped being fed at the conventions? Now, it is routine. And we just love our conventions today. 

[Bob]

26 minutes ago, nanceebgd46 said:

   I already DO support the arrangement and trust those in charge of making the decisions....my comment was not putting down the buildings

   design...I was just saying that the new look of our Kingdom Hall model, is so different than we are use to, that it will naturally take time for us to adjust

   and adapt to it.

   

 

No doubt you support it. I'm happy you do. 

 

It goes without saying we will have to adjust to the new building, but sometimes we are too quick to offer opinions on something we have yet to even use or experience, or that isn't even completed. 

 

 

[Joey]

Are there any indoor pictures?

[Shawnster]

 

4 hours ago, Gregexplore said:

Let's put it  mildly ... I'll need to convince myself to this design.It just looks like a square box with strangely positioned windows 

I think of it as a very efficient , save money building and with so many Kingdom Halls needed around the world perhaps that was a driving point behind approval for this design. 

Well it's a place of worship and not architectural competition after all. 

Local brothers must be happy to have a new Kingdom Hall ! 

 

 

2 hours ago, nanceebgd46 said:

It looks more like an industrial building...but, once they add the landscaping, maybe it will soften the look?

 

I suspect this will make resell much easier and maybe get a higher price out of the sell.  My old Kingdom Hall (the one I grew up in) was sold about 13 years ago and they built a new hall.  The old hall was bought by a medical group and is now used for doctors offices.  I've been by the building but not gone inside.  I can, however, imagine all the work those doctors had to go through to make the building look like a doctor's office. 

 

This new format looks like a commercial building.  It should be easier to convert to another type of commercial building if they ever need to sell a Kingdom Hall.  I wonder if we'll be building new Kingdom Halls in commercial or retail districts as opposed to residential areas.  

 

I'm keenly interested in seeing the long-term benefits of this particular style of design.  I really do think and have faith that the Faithful Slave is thinking ahead about something.  I just have no clue how this is going to play out.  

Edited April 5, 2016 by Shawnster

[Sheep]

46 minutes ago, Shawnster said:

This new format looks like a commercial building.  It should be easier to convert to another type of commercial building if they ever need to sell a Kingdom Hall.  I wonder if we'll be building new Kingdom Halls in commercial or retail districts as opposed to residential areas.

 

That was done here in Montreal. We bought a property for a KH that belonged to the Nissan dealership next door. It didn't need to be rezoned, so we saved time getting the bid in. (The photo at the link is dated 2009, before the purchase. The building in the back on the right is now serving as a KH, although not completed yet.)

[MizPeg]

1 hour ago, Friends just call me Ross said:

 

How's this for a disguise?

then everyone might want to come to Jehovah's house!

[Old]

There is something to be said for building a KH in a commercial zone. It can be sold and used for any legal purpose. If built in a residential zone it will be accompanied by a conditional use permit which only allow a sale for religious purposes.  Many old KHs around the country have been up for sale for years.

Here is a photo of the old KH in Eureka California. Built in a commercial zone in 1955 was readily sold to become an lawyers office. Note the crenelated WT planters on each side of the porch.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Old

[Old]

Here is a very nice KH building that has been listed for sale for a number of years. Pretty building and setting, lots of parking, would make a good pre-school, but because it was built on a conditional use permit as a church, it can only be used as a church or reverted back to residential. I would image there are hundreds of these scattered across the US.

(I believe a buyer has been found, but not sure.)

Edited April 5, 2016 by Old

[Ahuvah]

9 hours ago, Bob said:

How about we not be so quick to give our critiques about an incomplete building? There is obviously a benefit to using this design that we will see once we get into the swing of using the Hall.

 

Lets just support the arrangement, and trust those in charge of making the decisions.

I personally don't like the design from a visual standpoint only, to me it's very masculine where I prefer the more homely look of a kingdom hall, but that's only a personal preference, and I am sure this design is going to achieve everything Jehovah wants it to, it's come down through the FDS therefore I give it my 100% support, but it doesn't mean I have to like the look of it.

[Qapla]

Just a thought ......

 

I have seen some very attractive Assembly Halls. I have attended many, many, many District (now Regional) Conventions - and all of them have been in Commercial Centers ... from Convention Centers to Metro-Auditoriums/Arena to Football Stadiums, including the Superdome (pre-Katrina) and have never heard anyone mention that they didn't like the Convention because it looked to "commercial"

 

Like I said .... just a thought

[Old]

I agree, the lead topic photo is not very exiting.

Try this one, note: Walmart sign removed 

Much  more appealing photo.

[hatcheckgirl]

The old assembly hall in Sydney used to be a button factory.  It looked like a factory in a garden setting in the middle of suburbia.  A bit of an ugly building, but then refurbished to be as comfortable and pleasant as possible, and certainly an improvement to the button factory of old.

 

I think the idea of resale value does count.  I mean, with religions going down, there is little demand for religious halls (even if ours are not churchy).  I love the look of that homely KH in post #21 that Brother Jerry posted, quite nostalgic.  But we are living in practical times, no room for nostalgia.  We just need a sturdy, functional building to give glory to Jehovah, with minimal fuss and expense.