User:Sbridge4/Chapel of the Holy Cross (Sedona, Arizona)

Architectural Features

Upon arrival, visitors walk up a ramp from the parking area to the chapel. The long, curved ramp is constructed of textured concrete.

The main feature of the chapel is a 90 ft (27.4 m) tall iron cross on the southwestern wall, which serves both aesthetic and structural purposes. A sculptress by the name of Marguerite Staude was inspired by the powerful image of the steel framework in the Empire State building and other skyscrapers. Her idea for the cross was carried out by sculptor Keith Monroe, from San Francisco. The cross holds both the altar and Corpus on the interior.

The walls and cross are constructed with reinforced coarse-aggregate concrete, 1 foot in thickness. Inside and out, the walls were sandblasted to unveil the textured aggregate. To reduce glare, smokey-gray colored glass is utilized at the two ends of the chapel. The floor is made of concrete, which is trowel-finished. The front doors are constructed of aluminum with horn-shaped handles.

The effect of the materials pallet combined with the simple, angled shapes in the chapel create an impression of grandeur and strength. This is fitting, as it sits at the base of a 1,500 ft cliff and is surrounded by massive pieces of sandstone.

The chapel seats up to 150 people. The confessional, office, two sacristies and services are located in the basement of the building.

Sources

"Drama in the Desert." Architectural Forum, December 1956, pp. 97-99

"Chapel Crowns Arizona Eminence." Progressive Architecture, October 1956, p. 91

"Chapel of the Holy Cross." Architectural Record, October 1956, pp. 173-182.