Tucked in a mixed use neighborhood in Flushing, Queens, the First Church of Christ, Scientist tells the story the Christian Scientist faith with light. The church eschews conventional religious imagery in favor of sanctuaries designed for contemplation. Respecting this tradition, the main wall of this modest sanctuary space is bent and perforated with openings to catch direct and indirect sunlight, illuminating the entire space and the lectern in different ways throughout the seasons. The design and the materials were selected to meet a extremely rigorous budget. The public areas, including offices and a Reading Room, are furnished with casework fabricated from carefully detailed prefinished plywood. The congregation, through its design committee, was a constant participant in the development of the program and its execution.

Larson and Paul provided architectural, interior design and custom furniture design services to the congregation. Lighting, pro-bono, by Johnson-Schwinghammer.

Design work done in partnership with Tarek Ashkar.