Gateway Community Church
Austin, Texas
Seat Count: 1,900
Project Type: New Construction
Project Completion: 2005
Architect: Cornerstone Group
AD Scope: Room Design, Acoustics, Audio,
Video, Architectural Lighting, Theatrical
Lighting, Stage Rigging
Gateway Church is very relationship driven. People are encouraged to “come as they are” and a favorite saying at Gateway is “no perfect people allowed” because there are no perfect people. When AD first began conversations with Gateway, the conversation overwhelmingly centered around connection.
Gateway’s primary goal for the space was intensely about connecting people in relationship to God and to each other. To facilitate this goal, we developed a seating layout that wraps 200 degrees around the stage so that people in the congregation feel connected to the platform and to each other.
Because Austin has a reputation as the “live music capital of the world,” Gateway needed a space that would support live music performance fitting in with the funky, Austin vibe. We developed an asymmetrical room design heavy with people on one side of the space making worship a very involving experience. Large video screen displays and alternating left and right speaker systems also add to this surrounding effect. The back of the stage, although it looks like a facade, is actually acoustical boards transformed into art. By designing light patterns and fades, AD gave ability for the church’s tech team to create a visually fascinating experience.
