Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting

The original Meeting House, built in 1931, was located at 100 E. Mermaid Lane in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[3] The meeting works with the Northwest Interfaith Hospitality Network to provide short term housing for families in transition.

[4][5] The original Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House at 100 East Mermaid Lane was built in 1931.

The building contained a meeting room and adjacent space, which could be joined by opening folding doors between them; a central gabled vestibule, a kitchen, restrooms and classrooms.

The "ranch-style" design was reminiscent of residential architecture, connecting traditional meetinghouses with more modern domestic forms.

[7] The modern Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting House at 20 East Mermaid Lane was designed by architect James Bradberry of Bryn Mawr, working with natural light artist James Turrell and Chestnut Hill Meeting members.

[8] It is the second Turrell skyspace to be located within a Quaker meetinghouse,[8] and was inspired by its predecessor, Live Oak Friends Meeting House in Houston, Texas.

[8] In spite of construction delays due to an incident of arson that caused substantial damages, the new building opened for worship in September, 2013.

[11][12][13][14] The two-story L-shaped building is sited on a partially wooded 1.8 acre-site not far from the location of the original meetinghouse.

[3][8] Built in a former quarry, the surroundings are naturally landscaped and include green stormwater management features.

The second floor includes classrooms and a mini-kitchen and a handicapped-usable bathroom and shower, essential for the work of the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

Part of the roof quietly slides away, revealing a rectangular shape that opens directly to the sky.

LED lights in colors found in the sky — rich pinks, violets, and blue-greens — line the lower ledge of the ceiling.