Design drawing of the proposed modifications between the circa 1897 Church and the 1978 Rectory. A new skylight that enclosed the courtyard was added to create the new Conservatory at the A+ designed Renovation of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta.
The Sacred Heart exterior courtyard was transformed by the skylight in order to provide a new Conservatory and Prefunction Area. The view of the Basilica is maintained through the new skylight in the upper left of the photo. New lighting was added to the floor to uplight and illuminate the church walls.
The pre-renovation view of the Social Hall with the awkward central row of columns. The space was dark and cluttered with no windows and little flexibility.
The space as transformed into a Multipurpose Room with the central columns removed, new lighting and windows. The layout includes the ability to subdivide the room for meetings and seminars as well as associated projectors, drop down screens and audio visual systems.
A construction period view of the major Mulitpurpose Room structural modifications. Steel beams were added to allow removal of the central line of wood columns. New footings were built adjacent to the 100 year old brick footings. And a new steel beam was added below the floor so that the new columns could be close to the existing ones but not add weight to the old footing.
A new opening was cut into a 3’0″ thick brick wall for access to the new furniture storage area off of the Multipurpose Room. This wall supports one of the two twin towers of the Basilica.
View of one of the existing stained glass medallions in the windows that were removed for the installation of new classroom doors.
View of the new Stained Glass window that was installed in the Rectory entry lobby. The new window incorporated six of the existing medallions into the large 6′ x 10′ window.
Sacred Heart marble relics used as decoration in a corridor. These were discovered during the demolition of the old mechanical room.
Akard Architecture 