The significance of Church of the Gesu (Gesu), nestled within Marquette University’s campus on Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, cannot be overstated. The project included a complete renovation of the church’s worship space – which had not undergone a major renovation since the 1960s. GROTH Design Group was originally hired to partner with the parish as liturgical consultants, but the project scope and partnership greatly expanded as desire met opportunity to revitalize the space.
The project renovation included total replacement of the flooring, new pews and improved pew layout, painting of walls and ceilings, and new lighting to better suit the space. New A/V systems throughout the 900-seat worship included a hearing loop installed under the floor. Full ADA compliance was also included, including ramping to the altar platform that blends seamlessly into the historic context. Liturgical improvements added a full immersion font, an ambry to contain the holy oils, relocation of the original worship space tabernacle to its original location. Renovations to support spaces included complete reworking of the main entry stairs for better egress patterns, and new casework in the sacristy and mother’s/bride’s room. Select exterior windows in the sacristy and transept stairs were also restored to comply with the church’s historic designation.