Unrealized Projects

Design projects may go unrealized for any number of reasons, such as financial troubles, lack of city or regional approvals, challenges by neighbors, etc.  Projects might be scaled down from original ideas, or abandoned entirely.  This is common for both religious and secular institutions.  Unique to religious institutions though, are design dreams that are abandoned because the congregation's numbers dwindle, or because the space is sold to another congregation.

The drawing on yellow trace is for Oakland's Beth Abraham synagogue 1957 remodel by Hans Gerson.  The Temple was remodeled, but the results look nothing like the proposed design.  Neither of the proposed churches by William Dutcher was built; in one case, the model and sketches are all that remain of the design.  In another example, there are photographs of a church that previously existed, with images of the model of the new but unrealized church proposed for the site.  Saddest of all is the Oakland Neighborhood Church.  This congregation planned a grand building, but relocated to Castro Valley, selling their church to another congregation. The new congregation did not carry out the designs.  The drawings show what might have been, and the photograph shows what is currently on the site.