The fate of the downtown Washington Christian Science church building, a monolithic example of modernist architecture, will be decided in court.

On Thursday, Washington’s Third Church of Christ, Scientist, filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court that seeks to remove restrictions brought on by the designation of the church at 16th and I streets as a historic landmark.

Church leaders and members alike opposed it when the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board made the designation in December, and the board denied the church’s application to demolish the building last month.

In a news conference in front of the church near the White House, member and lay leader Darrow Kirkpatrick bemoaned the building’s “unwelcoming, bunker-like” appearance. He insisted that the building does not represent the church well.

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“Without a compelling government interest, our members, not the Historic Preservation Review Board, are in the best position to determine” the representation of their church, Darrow said.

The building itself was completed in 1971 and is an example of brutalist architecture, a style that uses mainly concrete in blocky, angular design. Arraldo Cossutta, an architect of the brutalist school, designed the church building. Darrow, a 30-year member, said the church was initially receptive to the modern design but that Cossutta’s own vision eclipsed the members’ wishes.

The review board began its landmarking process in 1991 after a preservation advocacy group filed an application. After 17 years, the board approved the designation, which Third Church members said they did not request and did not want. With the demolition application rejected, the church is now charging that its First Amendment rights have been violated.

Lead counsel Roman Storzer said the church is suing to remove the landmark status so it can build a new building in its place. Storzer claimed that the landmark restrictions are in violation of federal civil rights law about religious land use as well as the First Amendment’s guarantees for freedom of worship.

“In the hierarchy of values that should be protected, freedom of religion has to come before architecture,” Storzer said.

On the political side, the church has been petitioning the D.C. Council for support. Council member Marion Barry has introduced legislation to reinforce the federal civil rights laws already on the books. So far, Chairman Vince Gray has not expressed an opinion on the bill.