Chapel of the Cross

Owner:

Surface Creek Historical Society, Inc., Cedaredge, Colorado

Project Summary:

Complete architectural services. The Chapel of the Cross is a 1,300 square foot (seating 60), nondenominational chapel which was built as a gift to the people of the small, Western Slope farming community of Cedaredge. The site, originally the old Bar I Ranch, was the homestead of some of the area’s earliest settlers. At one end of the park adjacent to the three original wooden silos, also on the homestead site, a “pioneer town” has been reconstructed by the Historical Society. The Chapel was designed to convey the traditional “prairie church” image, and, at the same time, relate to the context of the pioneer town and the character of Cedaredge. Inside, the trussed glue-lam arches lead a processional down the nave of the Chapel through the transparent front wall to the exterior where the Chapel terminates at a free-standing wall, bisected by a large wooden cross. The rough-hewn cedar cross is inlaid with a slender perfect stainless steel center-cross which represents the perfection of Christ. The cross-wall encloses an exterior chancel area which is an extension of the formal chancel inside the Chapel. Landscaping and the positioning of the Chapel further reinforce the introspective nature, while allowing openness to the sky above, from both inside and outside the building.

Awards Won:

Award of Honor, Western Mountain Region AIA, 1990. Honor Award, Colorado North Chapter AIA, 1990. Architectural Award for Excellence, Wood Organization of Denver, 1990