St. Sophia PA
Greek Orthodox Church in Valley Forge PA
The project in Valley Forge consisted of a total vision of a new church temple, a multi-purpose classroom gathering office facility as a link for bridge building and the renovation of the existing multipurpose hall. The architect was challenged with limited budget, and was able to create a holistic vision.
This Byzantine design is rooted back to the 6th century of Christianity and is typical of churches commonly found in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. In keeping with the Byzantine church tradition, the interior of the sanctuary has been adorned with fresco iconography. From the Apex of the 55 foot high dome which depicts Jesus Christ and the Old Testament prophets, to the lower pendentive regions which display large, colorful murals depicting important scenes from the life of Christ, worshipers will find themselves surrounded by a heavenly panorama.
The Church Temple was completed for Paschal 2012, complete with phase 1 Iconography, marble floors. It features geothermal heating and cooling for off-peak hours. Beyond the architecture of the complex, CJK was retained to design and coordinate the iconography, furnishings and artifacts of the project which included the artifacts for the altar area for the east zone for the project (including the Pulpit, the Throne, the Chanters area, the Icon Screen and the Altar or Holy Table). The CJK design was carved and fabricated in Hania Crete in the Studio of Steve Kavroulakis.