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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© 1999 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan