Capstone Year
Chapel of St. Ignatius Photo Study, 2025. During our winter trip to Seattle for Christopher Domin’s Metaphysics of Light capstone, our class visited the Chapel of St. Ignatius by architect Steven Holl. I found the chapel extraordinary in how it echoed the cathedrals and churches I had seen across Europe the previous summer, yet interpreted them through a distinctly postmodern lens. The metalwork and wood detailing reminded me of Scarpa’s craftsmanship, while the volumetric light and gestural forms recalled Le Corbusier’s treatment of windows and painted surfaces that transform sunlight into color. Even the drywall was celebrated, the architect instructed installers to use their scraper tools to create expressive, imperfect textures across the walls and ceiling. It evoked a new kind of stonework, metaphorically speaking, echoing the rough beauty of European masonry through contemporary materials. During our winter trip to Seattle for Christopher Domin’s Metaphysics of Light research and inquiry capstone, our class visited the Chapel of St. Ignatius, designed by architect Steven Holl. I found this chapel so extraordinary bc its relation to the cathedrals and churches I'd seen across Europe, the previous summer previous but in a very postmodern context. Reminds me of the craftsmanship of Scarpa with the metalwork and woodwork, and the volumeness and geestalts of light seen in Corbusier's work with the window openings, with the painted walls reflecting the sunlight into the room. The celebration of even drywall is beautiful. The architect made it so that the drinstallers used their scraper to create beautiful, imperfect textures across the entire area, reminding me of stonework I had seen in Europe, perhaps metaphorically.