Thorncrown Chapel
Encyclopedia
Thorncrown Chapel is a chapel located in Eureka Springs
, Arkansas
– designed by E. Fay Jones and constructed in 1980.
The design recalls Prairie School
architecture – popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright
, with whom Jones had apprenticed. Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher, commissioned the chapel.
Constructed mostly of wood and other materials indigenous to northwestern Arkansas, the design minimized material transportation costs. Though giving the impression of an open-air structure, the chapel is a glass-enclosed, conditioned space.
The building was selected for the 2006 Twenty-five Year Award
by the American Institute of Architects
, recognizing structures that have had significant influence on the profession. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000 Buildings less than fifty years old can only be listed on the Register if they are of exceptional significance.
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
– designed by E. Fay Jones and constructed in 1980.
The design recalls Prairie School
Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
architecture – popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, with whom Jones had apprenticed. Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher, commissioned the chapel.
The building was selected for the 2006 Twenty-five Year Award
Twenty-five Year Award
The Twenty-five Year Award is an architecture prize awarded by the American Institute of Architects to buildings and structures that have "stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years", and that "[exemplify] design of enduring significance." The project receiving the award can be located anywhere in...
by the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, recognizing structures that have had significant influence on the profession. The chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000 Buildings less than fifty years old can only be listed on the Register if they are of exceptional significance.
Further reading
- Charles K. Gandee. (March 1981) "A Wayfarer's Chapel By Fay Jones", Architectural Record. Vol 169 Number 3. pp. 86-91
- Paul Heyer. (1993) American Architecture: Ideas and Ideologies in the Late Twentieth Century. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, pp. 102-103. ISBN 0-442-01328-0
External links
- Thorncrown Chapel official website.
- Thorncrown Chapel at Great Buildings online.
- Thorncrown Chapel at the American Institute of Architecture