A red brick modern building with angular design, surrounded by green grass and trees with full foliage, under a partly cloudy blue sky.

Our Landmark Building

a photo of Louis Kahn, architect. he wears a white shirt and black bowtie.

“Architecture is the thoughtful making of spaces. It is the creating of spaces that evoke a feeling of appropriate use.”

– Louis Kahn, Architect

Our church building is widely recognized as one of the most architecturally significant structures in the Rochester area. Designed by Louis Kahn, it is regularly visited and studied by architects, students, and tourists from around the world. In 2014, the church was added to the list of U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It has been described as one of “the most significant works of religious architecture of the [20th] century” and as “the only building of international significance” in Monroe County. It is regularly visited by architects and students from all over the world.

Learn more about Louis Kahn

Self-Guided Tours are available Monday – Thursday 12:30pm – 4pm

For larger tours, please email the office at office@rochesterunitarian.org.

No Tours Saturday & Sunday

Please enjoy our Self-Guided Tour sheet as you listen to the audio files (to the right) , which correspond to each section on the tour sheet.

For best results with the audio files, you will need to download a free version of Dropbox, if you don’t already have it.

Welcome message

  1. Background

  2. Overview of the Interior

  3. Lobby

  4. Sanctuary

  5. Sanctuary: Silence and Light

  6. Sanctuary: Furnishings

  7. Sanctuary: Light Towers

  8. Sanctuary: Sermon in Stone

  9. Susan B. Anthony Lounge

  10. Kitchen

  11. Room 110

  12. Rooms 115-128

  13. Williams Gallery

  14. Youth Room

  15. Gilbert Hall

  16. Choir Room

  17. Room 211/212

  18. Rooms 200 and 215-228

  19. Exterior

  20. Influenced by a Scottish Castle

an exterior photo of the building windows showcasing the angles of the building.
a photo taken from the choir loft showing many people during a worship service
a photo of the exterior building
a photo of the exterior main door of the church
a photo of the sanctuary. taken from the back of the room facing the chancel, this photo highlights the sunlight coming in through the lightwells at the front of the room
Urban courtyard courtyard with benches, leafless trees, and a brick building with large windows and a wooden door, under a cloudy sky.
Interior of a church or auditorium with rows of wooden chairs, a stage with flowers, a podium, and colorful wall panels.
Brick fireplace with a black metal frame, located in a room with concrete floor and a brick wall with three rectangular openings above it.
Interior of a room with a light-colored brick wall decorated with several hanging woven textiles in red, blue, and beige, and two wooden lecterns, with chairs lined up in front.
Interior of a church or auditorium with a wooden stage, an altar with a religious wreath, a pianist playing a piano, and a few people seated, some wearing purple and pink robes.
A cozy room with red and black chairs, a patterned area rug, wooden cabinets, and wall hangings with symbols, illuminated by pendant lights and large windows.
An empty auditorium with rows of wooden chairs with padded seats facing a stage area. The backdrop features a large grey brick wall adorned with four tall, narrow, colorful hanging fabric banners in red and blue, separated by wooden beams.
An empty concert hall with rows of chairs, a stage, and a balcony with musical pipes, illuminated by natural light from large windows.
Inside a large modern church or concert hall with many gray chairs arranged in rows facing a wooden pulpit with a red carpet, and a balcony with a pipe organ and musical instruments at the back.
Interior of a large, modern auditorium or concert hall with rows of empty chairs facing a stage with a wooden podium. The hall has a high ceiling with suspended lights and a balcony area with a pipe organ visible at the back.
A cozy room with a wooden bead ceiling, hanging pendant lights, wood furnishings, framed pictures, bookshelves, and chairs arranged around a patterned rug.
View of an auditorium or conference hall with rows of blue chairs, a stage with red carpet, and a large elevated organ on the back wall. The photo is taken from the podium or stage area.
Interior view of a modern building with angular ceiling, large windows, brick walls, and wooden accents in black and white.
A black and white photograph of a modern ceiling with geometric design, featuring square ceiling lights arranged in a grid pattern.
A ceiling with a geometric pattern of wooden beams forming a triangular shape.
A ceiling with a geometric pattern of wooden beams forming a triangular shape, with small square recessed lights evenly spaced along the beams.
Indoor space with wooden panel walls, bookshelves, and chairs, bright lighting from ceiling lamps, partially open door leading to another room, and decorative plants and flowers.
Aerial view of a garden with a large grassy area, flower beds, and tall trees surrounding the space.
A lush green forest with tall trees and a winding dirt path. Pink flowering bushes are visible in the background, and the scene is vibrant with spring foliage.
A circular stone bench surrounds a lush green tree in a park, with dense foliage and trees in the background.
A backyard garden with various colorful flowers, trees, and a house with a patio umbrella in the background, viewed through a natural archway of greenery and rocks.
A lush green park with a winding gravel path, various trees, bushes, and flowering plants, with a building in the background.
Three wooden chairs with woven seats are placed against a decorative wall with a tree and forest motif and a moss-like green curtain hanging above. A small table with a green, textured bowl-shaped surface holds a large white candle.
An interior with brick and stone walls, large windows, red chairs arranged in a semi-circle, a floral arrangement on a table, and a red patterned rug on a polished floor, lit by ceiling lights.
Interior of a lounge or waiting area with wooden ceiling, pendant lights, framed portrait, flags, bookshelf, wooden furniture, and patterned rug.
Three wooden chairs with armrests and cushions sit in front of a decorative wooden wall with green fabric curtains hanging above. In front of the chairs, there is a round table with a large greenish stone bowl holding a white candle.
A cozy room with red upholstered armchairs arranged around wooden coffee tables on a patterned rug. The room has wooden ceiling panels with pendant lights, bookshelves, and artwork on the walls.
Interior of a church or auditorium with wooden chairs arranged in rows facing a stage. The stage features a floral display at the center, a wooden podium, a chair, a music stand, and a piano. The wall behind the stage is made of gray bricks with colo
A large, modern church or auditorium interior with rows of gray chairs facing a raised platform with a desk and chairs, a wooden pulpit, and a red patterned rug, warm lighting, and an organ with pipes on the back wall.
Black and white photo of a man with light hair and a bow tie, leaning on a counter or table in an indoor setting, with office or workspace background.
A black and white photo of a busy indoor scene with people shopping at a market or fair. Some are browsing items on display, while others are engaged in conversation. The setting appears to be a large open space with merchandise on racks and tables.
A scenic park with a winding gravel path, large trees, and blooming flowers in the spring.
Interior of a modern auditorium or assembly hall with rows of blue chairs, a wooden stage, and a balcony area with musical instruments and lighting. The walls are made of concrete and brick, and the ceiling has embedded lighting.
Interior of a church or auditorium with rows of chairs, a raised pulpit, a red patterned rug, and an organ above, with cinder block walls and a concrete ceiling.
Empty auditorium with rows of gray theater seats, brick walls, and wooden panels.
Interior of a modern church or concert hall with rows of gray chairs facing a stage with a wooden podium and piano. There is a large pipe organ on the balcony at the back and a decorative red and black rug on the floor.
Interior of a church or auditorium with people seated, a stage with musical instruments, a group of people standing at the front, and a large screen displaying a message, with a high ceiling and brick walls.
A brick building surrounded by green trees and a well-maintained grassy area on a partly cloudy day.