How to Get There

From Los Angeles, CA (20 mi): Take I-110 S to CA-1 S, turn right onto Palos Verdes Drive South and continue for 3 miles; the chapel entrance is on the right.

Overview

Wayfarers Chapel, also known as "The Glass Church" is located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. It is noted for its unique organic architecture and location on cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Swedenborgian Church of North America and serves as a memorial to the 18th century scientist and theosopher, Emanuel Swedenborg.

The church was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) in the late 1940s and was built between 1949 and 1951. Wright departed from the tradition of using masonry in order to "achieve a delicate enclosure that allows the surrounding landscape to define the sacred space". Additions were built in later years, including a tower and a visitor center, the latter of which had been lost in a landslide during the 1960s.

As with many of Wright's buildings, the chapel features geometric designs and incorporates the natural landscape into the design. The Wayfarers Chapel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wayfarers Chapel", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0