Closer look: BNIM restores Kansas City's century-old Westport Presbyterian Church

First built in 1905 in one of Kansas City, Missouri's oldest neighborhoods, the Westport Presbyterian Church was in dire need of repair after suffering from a catastrophic fire in 2011. Architecture practice BNIM worked alongside the Church to renovate the historic building. Undertaking all the technical challenges that come with a project of this nature, BNIM managed to successfully preserve the Church's most sacred elements while creating a new, dynamic space for the community.

BNIM shared more details with Bustler about the restoration project below. 

Following an analysis of the existing structure, BNIM restored the most historically significant elements of the 27,000 square-foot Church — including the sanctuary, chapel, second floor, and basement. On the other hand, the Church's east side building (first grafted in 1916) had to be fully reconstructed.

BNIM's redesign scheme also features a new storefront on Westport Road that was more welcoming and easily accessible to the community.

The new site walls and storefront and parts of the landscaping were built using original limestone.

The interior finishes feature approximately 40,000 feet of salvaged pinewood framing material, while the stained glass windows were restored and reinstalled in a contemporary mounting.

In designing the Sanctuary and Gathering Space at the heart of the Church, BNIM worked closely with acoustical designers Jaffe Holden and Pasi Organ Builders “to ensure that the acoustical values balanced the use of a new 21-stop organ with choral performance and the spoken voice.”

Project details:

Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Size: 27,000 sf
Project Type: Institutional & Corporate Site Design
Architecture Firm: BNIM
Project Manager: Erik Heitman, BNIM project architect

Photos of the Church in its previous state can be found in the gallery below.

All images courtesy of BNIM.