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Secrets of Sacred Architecture

Gargoyle on the Washington National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
Courtesy of American Public Television

Monday, Dec. 9, 2024 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!

Many sacred buildings represent great feats of innovative engineering. For a time, America’s tallest structure and its largest-capacity building were churches, and a church organ stood as the most-complex machine ever built. The greatest architects, engineers and artists used these places of worship to express humanity’s connection to something larger. In “Secrets of Sacred Architecture,” these structures are explored to uncover the meaning embedded in their walls and form.

Secrets of Sacred Architecture: Preview

From hidden messages in stained glass windows, to the influence of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on the Gothic style, and a gargoyle that looks like Darth Vader, we see how humans connected to something larger in the places where they gathered as a community.

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Harriet Tubman depicted in the stained glass at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
By Nuccio DiNuzzo. Courtesy of American Public Television

Hosted by acclaimed actor LeVar Burton, this fascinating documentary unveils the meaning embedded in religious architecture — from the most magnificent cathedral to the simplest country chapel, and from synagogues to mosques.

Holy Hill Basilica in Hubertus, Wis.
Courtesy of American Public Television

Watch On Your Schedule: "Secrets of Sacred Architecture" is available to stream with KPBS Passport, a member benefit that unlocks exclusive shows and extra content on the PBS app.

Credits: Produced by Boettcher Trinklein TV, 2022. Distributed by American Public Television.