A Chapel for Concordia

Student Work Honor Award

Nathan Walz

Seward, Nebraska

Concordia University Nebraska has a reputation for excellent church worker programs focused on service within the Lutheran Church. What the college does not have, despite its faith-based mission, is any sort of chapel or dedicated place of worship.

The best buildings span many lifetimes and eras. The built environment that our communities inherit stands as a constant, whether we choose to celebrate or reject it. The central concern, therefore, is not about designing a building that is of its time but rather a building that is of its place. Responding to the Nebraska climate, the design includes masonry walls, pitched roofs, and long vertical windows. At the same time, the rugged exterior and stripped-down massing contribute to the sense that the chapel has grown up out of the prairie, a vertical punctuation on a long, horizontal expanse.

This project was shaped by Concordia Nebraska, the American Midwest, and the global Lutheran Church. Nothing is copied: the design that resulted is evocative, not repetitive. It brings to life the idea that the construction of something new can connect us back to our roots—to community, history, and faith.

Jury Comments

The drawings are stunning. For a student project, the level of thoughtfulness and thoroughness is exceptional. The quality of the presentation conveys the feeling of a space you want to be in.