St. Ignatius Chapel

This Chapel, small, intimate and a component of the Calcagnini Contemplative Center, is intended for groups up to 24. Developing an architecture that imparts a strong and clear spirituality without specific reference to any one religion was at the heart of the design intentions. While Georgetown is a Jesuit university, the make-up of its students and faculty is varied. The chapel needed to serve all religious communities at the school – Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. The design succeeds, avoiding both domesticity and overt religious allusion through its austere palette and simplicity of design.

Conceived as an elemental pavilion the Chapel’s palette is spare yet rich. Stuccoed masonry walls are perforated with 8” x 8” x 1 1/2” slabs of glass; the floor is poured in place stained concrete.  Exposed fir framing and cedar boards complete the interior. The galvanized aluminum roof is typical of the sheds and barns in the region.