Sense8 Netflix Series

Crumbling Gary Indiana Church plays starring role in Sense8 Netflix series

City Methodist Church was originally built in the 1920's in Gary, Indiana to support a growing congregation.  The sanctuary was part of a larger complex that included a theatre, dining hall, gymnasium, and corporate offices.  The church closed in 1975 after decades of declines in the congregation and failed attempts to sell the property. 

Over the ensuing years, the church decayed, and a fire in 1997 accelerated the decay further.  The sanctuary roof collapsed in 2011, exposing a large portion of the interior structure to the elements. 

In recent years the church has become a popular location for Goth weddings and has been used as a film location for a number of major productions. 

Netflix hired Unpronounceable Productions, LLC to produce the sci-fi, mystery, drama called Sense8.  The church sanctuary was scripted to play a prominent, recurring role in the 2-season series. 

After the roof collapse, the building structure was unstable and posed a safety risk to cast and crew.  The production company contacted RestoreWorks for help in cleaning up debris and stabilizing the structure.  The challenge grew even larger when they disclosed the production schedule required the building ready in two weeks. 

RestoreWorks met with the production crew, provided a comprehensive proposal, and completed the work successfully within the very tight time frame. The work involved extensive shoring, clean-up, installation of netting, and stabilization of columns that supported a roof.

The production crew was able to film the scenes safely and the series found a fan base that allowed for a second season with an additoonal 2-hour series finale. 

This was a unique project that tapped into many of RestoreWorks service capabilities.