Saint John's University, Saint John's Abbey and University Church (Collegeville, MN) : Interior detail, access stairs to the large balcony (left) running along the north wall, showing wood grain texture and side entry door

Creator:

Breuer, Marcel, 1902-1981

Published/Created:

31802 County Road 159, Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, United States
1958-1961

Physical Description:

65 ft (height) x 180 ft (wide) x 225 ft (length)

Date Depicted:

3/27/2011

Materials:

steel-reinforced concrete; stained glass

Notes:

Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota is a Benedictine monastery, the second-largest Benedictine abbey in the Western Hemisphere. Saint John's University is an apostolate of Saint John's Abbey. The church features cast-in-place concrete with giant, trunk-like stems that support the ceiling and a dominant bell banner that shields the widest, north wall of the trapezoidal church. In its undercroft is a chapel that contains the relics of Saint Peregrine. The hexagon or honeycomb supported north window was one of the largest stained-glass structures in the world at the time (60 feet high and 168 feet wide, with 430 hexagons of stained glass), designed by faculty member Bronislaw Bak (1922-1981). The honeycomb structure symbolizes the strength and connection of the abbey community.

Variant Titles:

Saint John’s Abbey Church

Topics:

Architecture -- United States -- 20th century -- (YVRC)

Period/Style:

Modernist
Twentieth century

Culture:

American

Accession Number:

1A1-BM-SJUAC-E37

Genre:

architecture (AAT)
chapels (rooms or structures) (AAT)
churches: abbey churches (AAT)
religious communities (built complexes): monasteries: abbeys (AAT)

Format:

Image

Content Type:

Sculptures, Models, & Architecture

Rights:

Copyright Scott Gilchrist, Archivision, Inc
The use of this image may be subject to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) or to site license or other rights management terms and conditions. The person using the image is liable for any infringement.

Access Restrictions:

Yale Community Only

Digital:

contemporary (1960 to present); saints; Benedictines; building divisions; rooms and spaces; religious building spaces; chapels (rooms or structures); buildings; religious buildings; churches; abbey churches; complexes; religious communities; monasteries;

Source Creator:

Gilchrist, Scott

Source Title:

Archivision Addition Module Eight

Source Created:

2878 Chamonix, Montreal QC
Archivision, Inc.
3/27/2011 12:00:00 AM

Source Note:

Purchase, Visual Resources Collection, May, 2013; photographer Scott Gilchrist

Yale Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Digital Collection:

Visual Resources Collection

Local Record Number:

4654

OID:

10889520

PID:

digcoll:1828758