On the one hand, I really do think that its structure and lines, its overall appearance, beautifully capture not just the look of a graceful and ‘ever-contemporary’ plane, but also its soaring essence - of flight and the reach for the skies. Indeed, looking at it (let alone what it must be like to actually be right there, or even inside of it) leads, if not compels, the eye to look to the sky. The design neatly captures and fuses the notion of flight and God, on a campus where both are worshipped.
On the other hand, sometimes I see it as being terribly cold and unforgiving. Maybe even sterile. And, if a building, especially a chapel of all things, can convey an aura of elitism, this one does. This a chapel that says, ‘you must earn your way into me’. Indeed, in my estimation, this is not a building that welcomes. It is a building that dwarfs you, reminding you of the near irrelevance of your existence save for your desire to reach for the heavens.
I’m curious to know what others think. Don’t be shy, now.
I think that you might be reading a bit too much into it. I can agree that one could get the impression that it’s cold, unforgiving, and perhaps sterile. However, I have no idea about the “you have to earn your way into it” thing, unless you’re referring to the Air Force Academy itself, about which that’s certainly true. I reckon since the chapel is part of the Air Force Academy, you could infer that, but that’s really more an Academy thing than a chapel thing, and I’m sure the chaplin would disagree with your observation.
Looking at this page, it looks like they hold Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddist and Muslim services, and visitors are welcome, even to attend services.
So, no, I don’t see what you’re seeing. YMMV, of course.
To me it doesn’t say “come worship”, it says “look at me”. It looks more like a giant machine and a sacrifice to the gods of technology than a place of conventional worship.
I was hoping for a significant number in the number of blades- say 12 for the apostles or 12 tribes of Israel. Instead, 17. Why 17?
I’ve always liked it (From pictures – I’ve never been there) I don’t find it cold and forbidding at all. Are stone cathedrals cold because they’re huge and made of stone?
It was a very necessary building. The rest of the campus when first built had the look of a bunch of Eisenhower-era government buildings (for the obvious reason). The chapel added a touch of ellegance.
Is it the library that has a statue enscribed (in big permament letters) “BRING ME MEN?” They should have thought a little harder on that one.
In general, the architecture of the AFA is rather dated modern. The chapel resembles a jumble of stahing. WEST POINT and ANNAPOLIS look much better-their architectural styles are more harmonious. I can’t imagine the AFA looking nice in AD 2100; whereas WP will still look OK.
It looks like something out of a Tim Burton film. Its slightly drearier and brutal (in both senses of the term) than the WW2 monument: it doesn’t make you reflect and contemplate but rather tear your hair out at the insignificance and inevitability of the oblivious forces of nature that will surely rise from the deep and reclaim their long-lost hold upon the frail sanities of the cat-curious humans and rise up from their eldritch demenses underground and …CTHULHU FTHARGHN! IA! IA!
I loved it. It’s shiny and soaring on the outside, but from the inside it’s quite spacious and bright. From the campus proper (which is pretty large, with a lot of wide open space), it serves as a landmark without dominating the landscape.
Considering when it was built, this was cutting-edge architecture and much better than many other building from that time. I agree with your first paragraph: It has a soaring upward feel to it, and seems to be poised for flight, totally appropriate for the USAF.
