Chapel of the Holy Family, Marquette University, Milwaukee

The renovation of this 1990 Chapel addition to the Marquette University Alumni Student Union refreshes the aesthetic and enhances both Catholic and multi-faith use. Beyond refreshing aesthetics and improving function, the design balances tradition with a vision for current and future, placing the chapel within a larger trajectory of ritual space: alluding to past, celebrating present, aspiring to celebrations beyond.

Symbols for the chapel were selected to balance Catholic rite and multi-denominational use. Overt symbols are limited, used with restraint and contemporary expression. A prominent mandorla dances asymmetrically under the ceiling. The graceful curves of the “almond” contrast the rigidity of structure, breaking from order and drawing patrons inside. The mandorla was selected for its allusion to early church Christology and gothic use, but also because the shape pervades throughout in a fuller breadth of religious traditions. Centered in the ceiling is an oculus, asymmetric within the mandorla, acknowledging the overall order.

The art-glass is discarded. Clerestories use glass-darkening technology for glare control. New windows at human scale connect interior to exterior. These are strategically placed, overlaying octagonal order with triangular geometry, balancing light and view. The largest opening, opposite the entry, is present on the chapel’s most prominent façade, creating a welcoming presence.

Undulating panels of ceiling and wall animate visually while providing suitable acoustics and achieves the desired reverberation.

The tempering of the rigid order, allows flexibility of arrangement. Centric, linear, asymmetric and informal arrangements all thrive.