Valparaiso University

November 20, 2009

 

All photos Copyright © 2009 by Robert E Pence

 

The Chapel of the Resurrection, at Valparaiso University in Northwest Indiana, was designed by Charles Stade and Associates, of Park Ridge, Illinois. It was built 1956-1959 at a cost of approximately $7.5 million, mostly from private donations, and was dedicated in 1959 as Memorial Chapel. In 1969 it was officially designated Chapel of the Resurrection. It is the largest collegiate chapel in the United States, with capacity for approximately 2,000 people depending upon seating configuration.

 

I remember reading about this structure when it was new and I had often seen it from U.S. Highway 30 en route to Chicago, but I had never taken time to stop and experience it in person. I'm glad I made this trip especially to see it; I think it's stunning. The chancel is 98 feet (30 meters) high, with the apse in the shape of a nine-pointed star. The original design doesn't appear to have been altered, and the building seems to be impeccably maintained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newly-completed Christopher Center for Library and Information Services was designed by Esherick Homsey Dodge & Davis of Chicago. It is part of a $33 million project paid for by gifts from alumni and friends. The grid structure on the south and east sides adds visual interest and provides a sun screen.

 

The building comprises 105,000 square feet of space and includes state-of-the-art building technology, including automated sun screens and many wi-fi hot spots in addition to hard-wired data access ports. Two hundred fifty computers are available for student use, and an automated storage and retrieval system can access any of the 60,000 infrequently-used documents and publications within fifteen seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had hoped to photograph more of the campus and then go into the city, but the intense and strongly-directional late-afternoon light limited my opportunities. Now, I have an excuse to go back.

Neat!

Thanks for these pics Robert!  I went to school for a few years at Valpo and was a member of the Chapel's Kantorei (the Chapel of the Reverberation, we called it).  I have cherished memories singing there, especially during Advent/Christmas Vespers when the space was always filled beyond its 2000-person seating capacity.

 

I really need to swing through someday as much construction and a redesign of traffic flow on campus have occurred since last I visited (the library groundbreaking happened several months after I graduated).  On a side note, the old library--which sat where the new student union has been built (4th pic of the Christopher Center set)--was an excellent example of prairie-style architecture through a 1950s lens.  Though it was impractical for the purposes of a modern-day collegiate library, I wish they had re-adapted it instead of demolishing it, and simply built the new union on the site of the ugly, old one (which still stands).

Thanks for these pics Robert!  I went to school for a few years at Valpo and was a member of the Chapel's Kantorei (the Chapel of the Reverberation, we called it).  I have cherished memories singing there, especially during Advent/Christmas Vespers when the space was always filled beyond its 2000-person seating capacity.

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The chapel has a wonderful sound. While I was photographing, an organist (young guy, student, I'd guess) arrived with a couple of other people to set up for a recording. When they were ready to start, I capped my noisy DSLR and took a seat and listened. I don't know what he was playing, but it was joyful and uplifting and I felt really privileged to have been there at the right time.

 

Nice thread Rob (really love that first shot), but places like this creep me out! I only feel comfortable in old Catholic churches.

 

I think I know what you mean, sort of; although I was raised Protestant, it was in an old-school Evangelical and Reformed congregation, complete with the Heidelberg Catechism and very formal and structured order of worship. I'm most comfortable with traditional Gothic and Romanesque church architecture, and the modern designs put me off. The fifties and sixties produced a lot of uninspiring structures of all types, and churches were no exception.

 

The Chapel of the Resurrection stands apart, though. The design and execution were done to high standards, with quality materials and careful attention to detail, and it has had good maintenance and respectful treatment that have enabled it to stand up well to the passage of fifty years. The interior has a reverent yet welcoming ambience, not at all sterile and cold, unlike most of the modern churches I've been in. It's especially surprising considering the huge volume of the space.

Great pics... Now I'm wishing I had made a point to check out the Valpo campus while I was living in Chicago.

The inside of the Chappel is stunning!  My favorite shot is the cross. 

Nice thread Rob (really love that first shot), but places like this creep me out! I only feel comfortable in old Catholic churches.

 

Haha, those were my exact thoughts when I saw the pictures.  At least this modern church has some architectural value (albeit not in a style I like).