Concordia Theological Seminary (originally Concordia Senior College)

Eero Saarinen
1953-58

Designed according to a village concept, the buildings of this Lutheran seminary are unified in architectural style, grouped around the chapel, and harmonized with the tranquil natural environment.
	Kramer Chapel Located in the center of the campus on the highest spot, the chapel has a pitched roof, symbolic of a church of the North European type. The chapel is reflected in the man-made lake below.
The interior of the chapel
The light in the chapel Low light from the side walls and lighting at the top of the roof create a spiritual atmosphere. Side lighting at the front focusses on the altar.
The side of the chapel and detail of the steeply pitched roof
	The bell tower The bell tower measures 103 and a half feet from the plaza to the top of the cross. The Finnish-American architect adopted the free-standing bell tower from the churches of his father's homeland and converted it to his modernist idiom.

Click here to see other buildings on the Concordia Theological Seminary campus.

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Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan