Immanuel Presbyterian Church, French Gothic church in Koreatown, Los Angeles, US
Immanuel Presbyterian Church is a French Gothic Revival building on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, completed in 1929 to designs by architect Chauncey Fitch Skilling. A 205-foot corner tower with pointed pinnacles rises beside a gabled facade holding a stained-glass rose window above the entrance. Inside are beam trusses, columns and arches, a carved wood pulpit, chandeliers and oak furnishings, with a 2,000-seat sanctuary.
The congregation was founded in 1888 and moved into its current building in 1929, which was later designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2003. This status recognized the building's architectural importance and its place in the city's heritage.
Immanuel began Spanish-language worship in 1995 and later held bilingual services rather than separate ones for each language group. In 2001 pastor Frank Alton allowed a Salvadoran Catholic group to display a life-size statue of Jesus in the church, despite the Presbyterian aversion to religious icons. The sanctuary also serves as a concert venue, hosting artists such as Hozier, Ray LaMontagne and Echo & the Bunnymen.
The building stands on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, its 205-foot corner tower visible from the street. The 2,000-seat sanctuary doubles as a concert and filming venue, so access can be closed during productions or rehearsals. Check with the congregation before planning a look inside.
The 2,000-seat sanctuary doubles as a concert and filming venue: My Chemical Romance shot the "Helena" video here in 2005, and Ray LaMontagne, Hozier and Echo & the Bunnymen have performed in it. Films using the church include Sister Act 2, Legally Blonde 2 and John Wick.
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