MARIA ANGELORUM CHAPEL
La Crosse, Wisconsin
The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration faced numerous challenges as they established their order in America in the mid-Nineteenth century. One of the many fruits of their labors was the consecration of their mother house chapel in La Crosse on August 2, 1906. The Romanesque styled structure with a cruciform plan has been meticulously and lovingly cared for ever since. The chapel exterior and interior design are virtually unchanged since its opening.
In 1992, the Order embarked on a plan to remodel the chapel in accordance with the post-Vatican II guidelines outlined in "Environment and Art in Catholic Worship". The architects' challenge was to convince the entire Order that the proposed work to their chapel would be sensitively done and would enhance their worship environment. The design dialog was facilitated by developing various computer models of each idea using photographs of the original space.
|
|
These detailed before and after computer views of each design idea were an essential ingredient in achieving an informed consensus for a positive vote to proceed with the project.
