Proposed chapel for Ave Maria University designed by
Notre Dame architecture student Matthew Enquist.
| more chapel images | university images |
Posted on 05/17/2004 7:27:20 AM PDT by Pyro7480
14 May 2004
An alternative proposal for Ave Maria
Notre Dame students design campus plan for college
Proposed chapel for Ave Maria University designed by
Notre Dame architecture student Matthew Enquist.
| more chapel images | university images |
Three students from the University of Notre Dame have designed a campus and town master-plan for the newly-founded Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida.
Matthew Enquist, Ryan Nicholson, and John Doyle are undergraduate thesis students in Notre Dame's School of Architecture. In the final year of the five-year program students work on detailed plans for a hypothetical project of their own choosing.
Working under Professor Thomas Gordon Smith, the students also designed three major buildings for the Naples campus.
"Our program was to develop an integrated campus and town master plan," explained Enquist, "and then to develop three iconic buildings of this university town--the library, the civic center, and the church."
Enquist, who designed the church, said he and his thesis team were unaware of Ave Maria's plans when they conceived their thesis project.
In late March, Ave Maria University announced detailed plans for its proposed chapel (pictured at left). Widely criticized as an impractical eyesore, the architect's proposal requires three thousand tons of structural steel and aluminum, and is to be largely sheathed in glass. Aside from the impracticality of the design, it was also criticized for failing to reflect the historical tradition of Catholic church architecture and consciously avoiding any connection to the rich Spanish mission style so common to Florida for the past two centuries.
Ave Maria University founder Thomas Monaghan has expressed the desire to recreate Frank Lloyd Wright's "prairie style" architecture of the Midwest throughout the new Florida campus. That approach was also taken by University of South Florida's Manatee campus, with overly banal results.
The Notre Dame students took a decidedly different approach to the Ave Maria project, one that all three hope will generate some positive discussion among those who are involved in the Ave Maria development project.
"Maybe some ideas can be generated to influence the further design of the university," said Ryan Nicholson, designer of the library (pictured below).
Proposed library for Ave Maria University designed by
Notre Dame architecture student Ryan Nicholson.
| view library images |
"We really enjoyed exploring what kind of architecture and campus environment would reflect the culture and tradition of a Catholic university in Florida," said Enquist.
The Notre Dame students recognized that the campus architecture needed to respond to the hot and muggy Florida climate. "This led us to decide that our architecture should evolve from the Spanish mission style, which can be found as a regional architectural type in Florida," said Enquist.
The students placed the campus in the center of the proposed town, creating three small neighborhoods that grow out of the university.
Proposed civic center for Ave Maria University designed by
Notre Dame architecture student John Doyle.
| view civic center images |
The university is divided into two major parts: one centers around the library and its traditional mall quad; the other is arranged around the church in the best of medieval fashion.
The civic center (pictured above), designed by John Doyle, functions as a link that ties these two campus neighborhoods together. It also provides a place for students and townies to meet and intermingle, drawing the town into the university.
Proposed site plan for the campus and town of
Ave Maria designed by Notre Dame architecture
students Ryan Nicholson, John Doyle, and Matthew Enquist.
| view site plan images |
A viable alternative
Enquist's church design provides evidence that it is still possible to design beautiful churches today, churches that express the Catholic faith and respect the regional architectural influences.
The Notre Dame thesis proposal grows out of the past two millennia of ecclesiastical patrimony. Consequently, Enquist's proposed church design identifies itself in every way with the Catholic Church's rich history and tradition.
Ave Maria's proposal, not so.
In stark contrast to the Notre Dame student's design, Ave Maria University's proposed chapel (as reflected in the architect's designs published in March) is decidedly abstract and modernist in its architectural vocabulary. It pays respects not to the timeless patrimony of the Church throughout the centuries; rather it clumsily tips its hat to the missteps in church architecture taken over the past half-century, with particular reverence paid to several non-Catholic modernist chapels--Thorncrown Chapel, the non-denominational U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, and the evangelical Crystal Cathedral in Los Angeles.
Thomas Monaghan's penchant for the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright has been particularly detrimental to the development of Ave Maria's campus, and most visibly in the design of the university chapel. It is well known that Wright, an American, publicly rejected the European heritage of churches, disdainfully referring to them as "sepulchers."
Back to the drawing board?
A week after Ave Maria trumpeted its proposed design in an expensive all-out media blitz (resulting in newspaper headlines such as "Giant Jesus will greet students to Catholic college"), the university removed the chapel images from its website.
After suffering much ridicule by conservative Catholics who would probably otherwise support the stated goals of Ave Maria University (see the Windex spoof for a particularly hilarious reaction to the proposed design), university officials appear to be distancing themselves from the architect's proposal.
Father Joseph Fessio, S.J., chancellor of the university, admitted he's received a flood of criticism about the proposed chapel design. Even so, in a March telephone conversation with this writer, he explained that he supports the ongoing design and believes it to be an "essentially Gothic structure."
The official form letter response from Ave Maria officials responding to criticism about the design takes a queer tack, not merely backing away from its trumpeted proposal, but actually disavowing its previous public relations efforts.
The letter, signed by VP of University Relations Dr. Carole Carpenter, states that "by the time of the press conference [unveiling the proposed design], our thinking on the [chapel] had already moved beyond the materials presented: for example, the exterior of the church was not all glass at the time of the unveiling. Nor was it intended that the facade and crucifix would be glass."
This is a curious choice of words considering that the models, drawings, and the written March 24 press release identified the chapel as "glass-skinned," and clearly identified the facade crucifix as 60-feet of glass.
Carpenter's letter emphasizes that the Ave Maria campus design, especially the design of its chapel, is a work in progress. "The unveiling was really the commencement of the next stage in our efforts--on what we like to refer to as our pilgrimage," she wrote.
It is ironic that students from the University of Notre Dame would be the ones to present such a beautiful, well thought-out alternative to Ave Maria's first stab at campus planning and design.
Ave Maria officials have jokingly referred to its new Naples university as "the new Notre Dame," and "the Notre Dame of the South." Ave Maria founder Thomas Monaghan has even expressed the hope of defeating the real Notre Dame on the gridiron.
Thus far, it's Notre Dame 7, Ave Maria, 0.
Another suggestion for Ave Maria: Why not at least attempt a field goal by inviting Matthew Enquist, Ryan Nicholson, and John Doyle down to Naples to present the incredible work that they have produced? Why not listen to their ideas? They have made the images of their work available here for all to see. You can bet they won't distance themselves from their proposal. It is an impressive accomplishment, and something to be learned from.
Michael S. Rose is the author a several books on church architecture including Ugly As Sin. His forthcoming book In Tiers of Glory: A History of Catholic Church Architecture in 100 Pages is due out in November. He is editor of Cruxnews.com.
Email author: rose@cruxnews.com
Monaghan is a Pelagian. He thinks he is going to save souls by spending money instead of by promoting holiness.
While it was a surreal service (imagine the Vatican choir singing in the middle of a windy tomato field) I had very mixed feelings. The priest most definitely a new-ager who during the homily starting talking about our universe was created by the big-bang theory.
I didn't know the big-bang theory was accepted by the church, being that it hasn't even been accepted by much of the scientific community yet.
The "Crystal Cathedral" architecture doesn't exactly speak to tradition. Neither does the fact that from what I've heard, the Latin rite won't be performed at all. Federal funds are nothing but poison in the long run.
I'd be happy to be wrong about all of this, as I live nearby and would love a traditional or orthodox influence. Doesn't look that way though.
I know it is not going to be 'traditionalist', but frankly that's not what I'm interested in. The Latin Mass holds no fascination for me. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the Rosary are important, but not all of the devotionals so popular when I was young are particularly crucial. I want our kids to be taught a timeless Faith, not just outward things that can change over theyears.
From what I've read, and I've been a supporter of the University for the last two years, it sounds as though the college will offer Mass with several different worship styles so that not just one style predominates and those who prefer different styles can be accomodated. I like the 'organ music' style with hymns like those sung from the Oxford Hymnal, but I also like the more modern 'Praise and Worship' style like that used in Life Teen Masses. As long as we're praising Jesus and preparing to receive His Body and Blood, that's what's important to me.
Oops! Sorry for the double post. It looked as though the posting page had hung up and not completed the connection.
Thanks for the link. It looks very interesting.
Pelagian might be a bit harsh, but he is certainly a sterling representative of that "Americanism" which was condemned by Pope Leo XIII. Putting projects and activity ahead of contemplation and grace has always been an American temptation. That's why we have lots and lots of buildings (all of them currently suffering under modernist occupation), but no American saints.
Do you mean over the past years, or overall? America has had several canonized saints, including St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton, St. John Neumann, and St. Katherine Drexel.
My son will be spending two weeks this summer at Christendom's 'Summer Institute' for high schoolers. Christendom is one of four or five colleges we've been considering, though, right now, Christendom is his likely choice. One of the things which sold him on it was that Christendom proudly proclaims on its website that it is one of only a handful of Catholic colleges left which accepts no federal funding. Interestingly, last winter, his second choice was Ave. He dropped it down a bit right after seeing the new Crystal Cathedral designs.
Yes, you're right, except that St. John Neumann was born in Bohemia. Mother Cabrini was born in Italy. So I believe it's true that the only American-born saints are Elizabeth Ann Seaton and Katherine Drexel. They are both converts, so that means that the enormous American Catholic machine, with so many schools, so many building projects, so much activity and money, has never produced a canonized saint, if I'm not mistaken. Which points out the danger of "Americanism," as Pope Leo XIII warned us.
I vote for the design from Notre Dame.
I do believe the glass structure would be tough to air Condition and it might be hot as hell.
>>The priest most definitely a new-ager who during the homily starting talking about our universe was created by the big-bang theory. <<
Read "A Brief History of Time" by Steven Hawking. He describes how he presented the Pope with the scientific support for the Big Bang. The Pope asked many questions which, in Hawking's mind, confirmed that the Pope understood the issues with phenominal clarity. The Pope asked to think about it overnight. He returned the next day and answered Hawking, "See, I told you so." (Paraphrased... the Pope doesn't often quote Rush Limbaugh book titles in public.)
Immediately, Hawking understood that the theory he was pushing so hard in fact confirmed the existence of a singular "first thing" (i.e., creator-God) from which all else depended. Ever since then, Hawking has been creating theories to undermine The Big Bang. At just about every turn, however, his theory's predictions turned out 180 degrees from reality, and they grotesquely violate Occam's razor. All this has been done, I believe, out of Hawking's need to invalidate religion. I routinely chortle as I see each one of Hawking's prediction die a fiery death: the greatest mind in physics is now blinded into dysnfunction by an obsessive drive to disprove God.
Neither Monaghan or Fessio are promoters of Latin Masses. Fr. Fessio likes the Novus Ordo but I think more for special occasions, I could be wrong about this point but I have definately been told by several who know him well that he is not a Tridentine Mass kind o guy. As for the New Agey stuff Monaghan is into, unfotunately Tom Monaghan was very influence by Word of God Charismatic Communities in the 1970's and 1980's. He is a close personal friend of Ralph Martin. If you are a fan of Ralph Martin Catholicism you should be fine with Ave Maria.
Pelagius believed that salvation was to be achieved by "doing" things, and not by the grace of God. I fail to see the difference with the essentials of Americanism.
This is not to say that man mustn't dispose what God proposes, but I missed the part were God proposed building new Catholic Universities with an emphasis on football programs and ugly modernist architecture. Does Notre Dame football spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Surely it doesn't, and I can't see how Ave Maria football will either.
The biggest problem in college is a lack of attendance at Mass and Confession, and a total lack of control over morals. I don't believe Ave Maria is proposing any controls in these areas, as used to be present at, say, Notre Dame. Nor is it being proposed as a sex-segregated institution, so that the attendees focus on learning and piety instead of dating and sex.
Its a monument to a man's ego and a sop to his belief that he can save his soul by "doing" things, nothing less, nothing more. Had he really wanted to make a difference, he could have given his scads of money to existing Catholic institutions (you listed them previously I think) anonymously so that they could give out full and half scholarships and expand their campuses and program offerings. He could have given money to diocesean high schools (with strings attached) to reduce their enormous tuition costs. He could have endowed som seminaries like the FSSP's that are bursting at the seams with applicants.
Ave Maria is a Pyramid of Gauis with an external Catholic veneer.
Well, I know the RCC is a big tent, but as for my own preferences, keep the Charismatics away from me. It's just too creepy, smarmy, emotional, etc for me.
I might add though that, in addition my thoughts on the above, I've always found large beautiful Synagouges or Cathedrals (I've seen both) devoid of spirtual meaning. I much prefer plain simple and intimate prayer rooms, where the beauty of the room does not distract me from my prayer, and I get a true communal, humble feel.
Proposed chapel for Ave Maria University designed by Notre Dame architecture student Matthew Enquist:
Some of it can be rather manipulative as well. But, I have noticed in the past few years that there are some Charismatics who are much more sedate in their worship practices. I think they would call their Chrismatic gifts of the interior sort.
"essentially no better"
well, essentially in matters of faith, I think they would be better; but I agree that the "chapel" is impractical, etc. and they would have much more credibility to do it otherwise.
BTW, w.r.t. the Michael Rose bump: I encourage you to buy his books. He tells the truth, because he has the courage to speak out regardless of the fallout. He has a growing home-schooled family. BUY MORE BOOKS! ;)
If you have them, they make great gifts to people who may not be as well informed as you are . . .
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