Undoubtedly an icon of pop culture, the Wayfarers Chapel designed by Lloyd Wright in the late 1940’s has been the chosen venue for celebrity weddings such as Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay or Brian Wilson and Melinda Ledbetter, besides being the shooting location for The O.C, Lucifer, and 90210. Today, it’s making headlines not for its ties to Hollywood, but because it will be dismantled starting next week.
The historic chapel had been indefinitely closed due to safety reasons last February, because of the accelerated land movement in the area where it is located. These ground movements, such as landslides, are not new, but have been ongoing for years, with the event in February being ‘the last straw’.
The movement underneath Wayfarers has resulted in damage and deformation of the chapel’s metal framework in both its walls and ceiling. Most of the glass panels in the church have shattered, numerous doors are now immovable, and the concrete floor exhibits significant cracks. Additionally, the underground utilities, including electricity, water, and gas, are fractured and nonfunctional.
The organization managing the renowned chapel has announced plans to collaborate with historic preservation experts and the National Park Service to meticulously dismantle the chapel, aiming to salvage as many materials as possible for potential future reconstruction.
Mayor John Cruikshank of Rancho Palos Verdes expressed to KTLA, the city’s commitment to working alongside Wayfarers to identify a suitable location for reassembling the chapel. The aspiration, according to Cruikshank, is for the chapel to remain in the city where it has resided since its inception.
The process of disassembling this historic landmark started this week. Those responsible for dismantling the structure will meticulously document and catalog all salvageable components before transporting them to a secure location for storage until the chapel can be reconstructed.
Wayfarers Chapel, also called “The Glass Church,” is an iconic architectural gem located in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, the chapel was completed in 1951. Its distinctive design features glass walls and a sweeping roof, evoking a sense of serenity and connection with nature.
Originally conceived as a tribute to Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish theologian, the chapel became a renowned wedding venue and a popular tourist destination due to its breathtaking ocean views and harmonious integration with the surrounding landscape.