Friday, January 28, 2011

Friday Field Trip - USAF Academy Cadet Chapel

I'm welcoming Jason Odell back to host this week's Friday Field Trip. Click to enlarge the images. I know you won't be disappointed.

The Cadet Chapel is probably the most recognized architectural work in the Colorado Springs area. Its spires are visible from the freeway as you drive past the Academy grounds. The chapel was completed in 1962, and is open to the public. Its unique design is constructed from aluminum tetrahedrons. Between each segment, the gap is filled with stained glass panels. The chapel has seventeen spires that reach 150 feet in the air. The chapel actually houses three separate worship areas: the Protestant Chapel is the main floor, and on the lower levels you'll find Catholic and Jewish chapels.

I have visited the Cadet Chapel several times since moving to Colorado Springs, but only recently had the opportunity to go inside. I went on a late Monday afternoon and was rewarded with spectacular light and the good fortune to be the only one inside. The staff did not object to my tripod and they liked looking at the photographs, too.






















7 comments:

Carol Kilgore said...

Awesome. I've seen this from a distance, but never been inside. The design is perfect for the Air Force because it looks like jets in formation.

Wynter said...

Terrific photos. What a dramatic-looking building.

Terry Odell said...

Carol - I've never been there either. And I agree about the architecture.

Wynter - I can always count on Jason for great stuff!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Wow! What an amazing place... and an architectural wonder.

Mason Canyon said...

Those are incredible photos. Image what the sound would be like inside. WOW.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress

Terry Odell said...

Elizabeth - I'm going to have to get down there one day.

Mason - I'll see if Jason can describe the acoustics.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Outstanding photos, as always. Jason has an amazing eye.

I haven't visited the academy since I came to Colorado to with my family on vacation around 1959. I'll bet it has changed a bit...