Thorncrown Chapel

Fay Jones (1921-2004)

Thorncrown Chapel was the dream of Jim Reed, a native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Nestled among trees, the chapel is rooted to the hilltop by its locally sourced flagstone floor and surrounding rock wall.

The magnificent wooden structure rises over 14 m into the sky and contains 425 windows. The timber used in the chapel’s construction allows it to blend seamlessly into the natural setting. The only steel in the structure forms a diamond-shaped jointing piece within the wooden trusses. In order to preserve the forest, no structural element was larger than what two men could carry through the woods. The building materials are primarily pressure-treated pine members. Larger elements of the building, such as the trusses, were assembled on the ground before being raised into place. The elaborate trusses and surrounding trees create constantly changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day. At night, light and reflections through the trusses appear to surround the entire building. This structure has been acclaimed by critics as “one of the finest religious spaces of modern times”.

Location:

Arkansas, United States of America

Awards:

1981 American Institute of Architects Design of the Year Award