Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Saint John's Abbey

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BLESSED SACRAMENT CHAPEL, SAINT JOHN'S ABBEY

Location: Collegeville, Minnesota

Awards:
AIA Honor Award for Interior Architecture, 2013
AIA MN Honor Award, 2008

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel renovation reconfigures a space adjacent to the main Abbey Church that had originally been designed as an ordinary office space with a primary view into an adjacent courtyard. The challenge was to design a new chapel for devotional prayer and connect it directly to the church. The chapel space is focused on a modern re-interpretation of the 14th century reredos wall (an ornamental panel) that holds the tabernacle. Designed to shield the view of an existing window, the wall diffuses natural light into the space. Platinum leaf is used on the ceiling to distribute light and echo Breuer's discreet use of precious metals in the Abbey Church.