Saint Stephen the Protomartyr, Longwood, FL
Located near Orlando, Saint Stephen's wanted a capacious church that would reflect Orthodox tradition through the lens of Florida's unique architectural character.
Designed to be built from solid masonry with a timber-frame roof, it is essentially a three-aisle basilica. The wide span of the arches gives an open airy space with room for the choir up front. The interior is inspired by the Protaton Cathedral of Mount Athos and by pre-Romanesque basilicas in western Europe. The big round columns will be painted with iconography as in Russian cathedrals.
The exterior combines influences from Byzantine and Russian architecture with some of the decorative Spanish-Revival and Art-Deco details that feature on so much historic Florida architecture.
The church is expected to comfortably hold about 250 people, and is being developed in collaboration with a local architect of record.