The Roofless Church in New Harmony, Indiana, is an open air interdenominational church designed by Philip Johnson and dedicated in 1960.[1] The church was commissioned by Jane Blaffer Owen, the wife of a descendant of Robert Owen (the founder of New Harmony).[2] It is an open park surrounded by a wall. There is one roof-like structure inside the compound, which is a cover for the statue The descent of the Holy Spirit by Jacques Lipchitz.[3]
The walls of the church are made of brick, and form a 9,800 square ft. rectangle, which is paved with limestone except for areas designated for plants. A gilded and adorned gate (also done by Lipchitz) is on the east side, with a secondary gate in the west wall.[4] The roof-like structure over Lipchitz's sculpture is a shingled baldachin which, as noted by the New Harmony chronicler Don Blair, resembles an upside-down rose bud.[5] Since the original dedication of the church, further sculptures have been added inside the walls.[6]
In 2016, a restoration effort was assembled, and the gate ornaments were re-gilded with gold leaf.[7]