First Lutheran Church

First Lutheran, on Cascade and Caramillo, is an odd mix of Italianate and Midcentury Modern. These two buildings don't even look like they're part of the same church! Don't get me wrong, you know how much I love Midcentury Modern, and I think this building is a particularly awesome example of that style, but what we have here is a very awkward mix of architectural eras (no offense to the parishioners of this fine church!). The latter literally does not reference the former in any way, and yet they sit side by side. I always wonder why some architects, when asked to add on to an obviously historical building, feel the need to create something that so utterly clashes with the prevailing, long-established aesthetic of the original structure, instead of harmonizing with it. You see this all over the older sections of Colorado Springs -- the Colorado College, for instance -- but I'm sure it happens everywhere.