Chapel of St. Basil - Interior Design

Interior Design

The Chapel includes a fascinating play on light, as there is no artificial light inside the main section of building during the daytime. There is sufficient sunlight to fully light the worship space, as a combination of smooth textures and reflective surfaces maximize all light shone in the building. At night, the lights from outside combined with candles inside the Chapel are more than enough to illuminate the worship area.

The altar, located on the north side of the building, is made of granite, featuring ridges on either side with a ripple effect, designed to represent the "water of life" provided by Christ. Behind the altar are six candles, three on each side, each with the inscription "Sanctus" on them, such that each set of candles proclaims "Holy, Holy, Holy". The crucifix on the north wall consists of a centuries old corpus donated by the Menil family, connected to a cross engraved into the wall of the chapel.

Just to the west of the altar is the pipe organ. To the right is the tabernacle, inscribed with a design of two angels praising towards heaven. When the doors of the tabernacle are shut, the angels wings' form a shape analogous to a flame. Above the tabernacle is an icon of St. Basil.

On the west wall of the chapel is a slanted glass cross (visible in the picture below). Below the cross are the Stations of the Cross, etched into the wall so as to give a 3-dimensional feel. On the east wall of the chapel is the statue of "Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom", a statue of Mary with the child Christ on her lap. In the statue, the child is holding a book in one hand while instructing with the other.

The interior of the chapel is designed to create a series of shifts during the mass. The entrances are not pointed towards the altar, but rather towards the tabernacle, focusing on the importance of the Eucharist. Likewise, the altar and crucifix are not located in the geometric center of the chapel, but rather are located slightly (but noticeably) to the left of the center. When seated, the pews are directed towards the altar, drawing a focus on the altar as the location of the Eucharist during the mass.