The Project loves South Philadelphia. Ok, not really. But that doesn’t stop me from going back to cover this week’s church, St. Thomas Aquinas.
Thomas Aquinas can really be thought of as St. Peter the Apostle lite, which is kind of ironic considering that we covered Peter last week. The two share quite a bit of interior similarity, as Thomas is designed in a strikingly similar angular Baroque style, with the same flat roof and heavy ornamentation. Thomas is a little smaller, and their color scheme eschews the red and gray for red and coral, but the effect is much the same. Two interesting things stand out here. Despite appearing a tad smaller, Thomas Aquinas features the Project’s beloved cruciform shape, so the church actually holds more people. And, perhaps most importantly, where Peter the Apostle skimped on the stained glass design, the windows here are beautiful.
The exterior is nothing particularly special, but it’s notable for its oxidized copper trim and copper lined, bulbous twin steeples.
LOOK FOR IT: An organ so big that it completely obscures the front window. Were the original designers really that insane?
All in all, a surprisingly good entry.
Size Rating: 9 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 9 out of 10
Overall Design Rating: 9 out of 10 crosses
