KRESGE CHAPEL

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Title	KRESGE CHAPEL
View	Exterior, view of the moat and treatment of the brick wall at the base
Notes	religious
Work Type	chapel, church
Style/Period	Modern
Creator Name	Saarinen, Eero
Creator Nationality	Finnish
Date.Creator Birth	1910
Date.Creator Death	1962
Major Design Aspects	round-shaped plan windowless natural lighting effects water as feature
Elements & Spatial Types	moat skylight altar
Climate Type	cold temperate
Country	United States of America
City	Cambridge
State/Province	MA
Alternate Place Names	MIT
Architectural Material	brick, concrete
Structural System	bearing brick
Dates	1950-1955
Century	20C
Photographer	Scott Gilchrist, Archivision
Subject Information	What has given Saarinen's windowless brick cylinder such enduring power is not so much its place in the timeline of architecture as its sheer timelessness. Although it has medieval references, the chapel transcends periods. The architect created, by his own description, a self-contained, inward-feeling' environment. Undulating brick walls serve an acoustic purpose and enhance the atmosphere of 'spiritual unworldliness' the architect sought to achieve. Fifty feet in diameter and 30 feet high, the chapel is topped by a sculptural aluminum spire with an arched bell tower at its base. Saarinen surrounded the chapel with a moat that further insulates the building from the urban landscape. Reflections of sunlight on the rippling water dance across the interior walls of the chapel through irregular arched openings along its base. Pinhole ceiling lights and a large, cylindrical altar light lend to the ethereal atmosphere. A delicate metal sculpture by Harry Bertoia hangs from ceiling to floor behind the altar, enriching the play of light and shadow on the chapel walls.' Source: http://web.mit.edu/evolving/projects/chapel/
Credit Line	Archivision Inc. (all images copyright Scott Gilchrist / Archivision.com)
Collection Title	Archivision (architecture, urban design, gardens, landscapes and public art)
Collection information	Collection administered by the Visual Resources manager, Architecture Library, (402) 472-1193

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KRESGE CHAPEL

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