I recently found an architectural rendering of the Kansas City Missouri Temple on ldschurchtemples.com (a wonderful site). The picture was just removed from the site today for some reason, but you can probably find it elsewhere.
The temple design showed a two towered (2 steeple) structure. I was very happy to see this. A lot of temples have the East side represent the Melchizedek Priesthood and the West side represent the Aaronic Priesthood. The Salt Lake Temple started this pattern, having 3 towers on the East and 3 on the West. Logan and Manti look like they have 2 towers (technically they have 2 smaller towers with staircases on either side of each main tower). The San Diego California Temple was the next two ended temple (technically 10 towered, but there are two main towers with 4 smaller towers around each main tower). Then the Vernal Utah Temple was made with 2 towers (I believe the original tabernacle the temple was made from had the two towers).
Recently the church has been building temples with a tower on one side and a small dome on the other end. I have thought that they should just add a second tower. I know building codes don't always allow two spires, but when possible, why not? I think two towers make a temple seem like a special building, not just a fancy church. It adds to the uniqueness of the architecture and adds symbolism.
The KC Temple design isn't perfect, but I like it. It reminds me of the Logan temple in several ways, with the 2 towers being the main one. I look forward to having it built
8 comments:
The Vernal Temple originally had only one cupola; the one supporting the Angel Moroni was added when it was converted into a temple. See this website: http://www.rickety.us/2009/09/vernal-utah-temple/
We can now add the Brigham City and Rome Italy temples to the list of twin tower temples. It also seems that the Phyledelphia Temple may follow the same pattern.
Yeah I've been noticing that pattern of two towers and I really like it.
Early designs for the Rexburg Temple had two towers as well. (A friend who worked at City Hall in Rexburg said she saw them during a meeting.) Plans were changed (she says by request of the people donating the money to build the temple. Apparently, she says, the Rexburg Temple was built without using Church Funds - or mostly I presume, and the donors had some say in the design.)... But you have to love Mormon rumors right?
Interesting. I read that the Boston Temple was originally supposed to have 6 towers, or at least 2 towers and 4 spires. For a while now the church has apparently been trying to do new temple styles with multiple towers. I'm glad they have finally succeeded and are doing many two towered temples.
What I'd like to see is some temples with no towers, similar to Hawaii, Cardston and Mesa. We've developed a popular idea that if it doesn't have a spire with a Moroni statue, it's not quite a temple. I think that idea is silly. I was quite surprised when the Copenhagen Temple had a freestanding spire added to it, as it was converted from an existing building that had no spire.
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I agree. I love the Mesa Arizona, Cardston Alberta, and Laie Hawaii Temples. I love the new 2 towered designs partially because they break from the usual one spire. I would also like to see no spire designs again. I don't expect to see any anytime soon though, as an Angel Moroni statue is standard now.
Turns out we are now building a spireless temple in Paris!
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