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UChicago Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

This is an archived listing.

Address

5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.

Neighborhood

Hyde Park / Woodlawn

Architect

Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, 1928

Website

uchicago.edu

Description

Soaring over the campus it serves, this chapel has all the superlatives of a cathedral. It's a masterful modernization of the Gothic style, giving up some ornamentation in favor of clean lines and unadorned surfaces. Though it possesses one of the world's largest carillons (an instrument of musical bells) and a sizable Skinner organ, the building is not lacking in small details. Look closely and you'll find unexpectedly eclectic touches, including a carving of the architect holding a model of the chapel itself. The building is named for its primary donor, John D. Rockefeller.

Archived In

2015 , 2016 , 2018 , 2023