St. Joan of Arc Chapel

Honor Award for Religious Architecture, Restoration

The Kubala Washatko Architects

Milwaukee, WI

Originally known as Chapelle de St. Martin de Seyssuel, the St. Joan of Arc Chapel was constructed around 1420 in the community of Chassesur-Rhône in southeastern France. The church served the village parish for over 400 years until it fell into a state of disrepair. In the late 1920’s the chapel ruins were reconstructed on a Long Island, NY estate and in 1965 the historic chapel was reconstructed on the Marquette University campus. Today, this historically significant chapel serves as the physical and spiritual heart of the university campus. It is a cultural artifact and living work of art that represents the largest work in the collection of Marquette’s Haggerty Museum of Art — with architecture and features reflecting the interrelationship between religion and art that permeates nearly all cultures throughout history.

To preserve the chapel for future generations, the University hired a consultant team of historic restoration specialists to address maintenance and upkeep of the more than 600-year-old structure to ensure its ongoing presence. Recent studies confirmed the necessity of significant renovation efforts. These included not only immediate needs such as roofing, security and temperature control highly important to the integrity of this medieval masterpiece, but also long-term assessment of critical renovations. The implementation plan included repair and replacement of historic terra cotta clay tiles, repair of historic steeple, improvements to mechanical and electrical systems, mitigation and repair of water infiltration and plaster damager, historic finish analysis, as well as major site improvements to address accessibility, safety, and aesthetic deficiencies.

Jury Comments

The level of craft in this reinvigorated chapel is outstanding, as is the care taken in the restoration. It is beautiful that it is now an interfaith chapel, although it started its life centuries earlier as a Catholic chapel. The power of its sacred space and elements lends sacredness to its new audience—a university community–which engages it as an educational tool as well.

Project Team Members

Adam Voltz
Vince Micha
Mark Lefebvre
Wayne Reckard

Project Consultants

Marquette University, owner
McGuire Igleski & Associates, historic preservation/HSR
Historic Surfaces, LLC, finish conservation/restoration
Millen Roofing, historic roof repair
Architectural Consulting Engineers, mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering
raSmith, civil/landscape
Ring & DuChateau, lighting design
Wayne Reckard, The Kubala Washatko Architects