ThornCrown Chapel: Everything You Want To Know About It  

Thorn crown Chapel is a popular tourist attraction of the USA. Many people love to visit this amazing place owing to its marvelous architecture and natural beauty. 

Today, we have brought this post to make you know complete information about it. We will let you know about its history, location, construction, and other information so let us not waste time and quickly move ahead to know about it. 

Where Is It Located?

       source: arch2o.com 

Thorncrown Chapel is located in a dense forest of the Arkansas state of the United States. This structure rises 15m high amidst the jungle of the Ozark Mountains. It is very close to the city of Eureka Springs and can be reached from Highway 62 West. It is made of wood and glass and simply looks amazing. 

What Is The Story Behind it?

source: archute.com

Jim Reed is the name of the person who wanted to build this chapel. He was a retired school teacher who wanted to build a glass chapel for his friends and for the people who visits the Ozark Mountains. He believed building this chapel will take people close to God. 

His son said that he had bought the land and his initial plans were to build a retirement home where he can live after retirement amongst the wonderful forest and mighty Ozark mountains but the plans then turned out for a chapel instead. 

He added that Jim loved the location of the mountains and many visitors used to stop by his house to take a glance at the hills and this motivated him to make a Chapel where people can come, sit with silence amongst nature and get relaxed. 

Who Constructed The Chapel?

source: archdaily.com

This chapel was constructed by the architect E. Fay Jones. It was constructed 40 years back between 1978 and 1980. It was inaugurated in the year 1980 and in 1981, it received the Design Award for that year and also for the decade. 

In 2001, it was chosen as one of the top designs of the 20th century by the AIA (American Institutes of Architects).

How Is It Built?

source: archidea.com.ua

Its construction is very unique. The 15m tall structure will make you look at the skies, it is that tall… There is a criss-cross framework of vertical and diagonal beams. These beams were made from pine trees growing in this area. 

The Gothic Chapel of Paris was the inspiration behind the design of this chapel. The construction of this chapel is rectangular in shape and has numerous glass panels and windows in it.

The wood used in the construction was taken from the forest itself which saved the transportation costs and time for bringing it to the place. There are about 425 windows that allow maximum light to enter in and allows transparency which is not seen in most buildings and structures these days. There are lanterns on each column inside which adds to its beauty at night. 

It has a height of 48 feet, a length of 60 feet and a width of 24 feet. Many stonemasons, carpenters, and young architects were hired to build this structure and their expertise can be seen from the monument. The idea for making the truss was that it should be built from such a material that two men can easily carry it in the woods so pine wood was selected for it. 

There is a low rock wall surrounding the building on the base of which the above structure is built. It looks open but is covered with glass panels completely and people can have an outside view from inside too. Flooring consists of colored slabs and stones. It has a gable roof and it suits the structure perfectly.  

The construction costs get reduced to an extent as most of the material that is used in the building of this chapel is natural materials. The front door is made of wood unlike the majority of the part covered with glass panels. There are several benches inside for people to sit. 

What Is It Currently Used For?

source: branipick.com

Weddings take place here, people come here when they are in the woods and come across this unique piece of architecture. Its unique construction and the peaceful and beautiful surroundings are the most which attract people to it. On Sundays, religious activities take place here too. 

Jim Reed wanted to make it a place where people can have their best thoughts and so it is currently working with the same ideology… Daily 2000 visitors come to visit it, isn’t that amazing!

Lush Green Surrounding

source: pinterest.com

The atmosphere around the chapel is green, fresh and provides plentiful light. Due to the forest, one feels a cool environment inside the chapel. 

There are tall trees surrounding it and the light patterns keep on changing throughout the day so the part of the chapel that gets the bright light keeps on changing. It is surrounded by Oaks, Maples, and Pine trees that bring shadow to the structure. 

Finest Religious Place

source: reddit.com

Its simple yet magnificent architecture makes it look extra-ordinary. The added beauty of the surroundings makes it a wonderful place to visit. 

People who love to reside in nature’s lap must visit this place as they will love the scenic beauty and elegance of the surroundings and also the fantastic architecture. There is no doubt in saying that it is the finest religious place of modern times. 

So, here was an overview of the Thorncrown chapel. You must visit this place when you are near to the state of Arkansas, USA; you will be amazed to see this architecture for sure! For more architectural design ideas, visit Architecturesstyle.

source: archatlas.net

source: divisare.com

source: thorncrown.com

source: archinect.com