[mapt]

The church could have been established as floors 2 through 10 (or indeed, floors 70 through 80) of a conventional rectangular box skyscraper, instead of building what is effectively a large shack at ground level, and designing a risky skyscraper without corner supports because one of those corners would pierce the shack.

http://www.saintpeters.org/your-church/the-building/

[jeffdavis]

That makes logical sense in the same way as turning central park into a "park skyscraper" makes logical sense.

[mapt]

Why?

Where in the Bible do they demand masonry construction and a lack of elevators?

[yardie]

And when the poor and homeless show up looking for the soup kitchen and temporary shelter? That should fly real well with the monied gentry on the 50th floor.