Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, Modern chapel in Bella Vista, United States
The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel is a modern church building in Arkansas designed with intersecting steel arches that support expansive glass walls. This structural system allows the interior to blend visually with the surrounding woodland while flooding the space with natural daylight throughout the day.
The chapel was designed in 1988 by architect E. Fay Jones, who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright during his early career. This project emerged from Jones's architectural philosophy and became one of his important works in the region.
The circular window above the entrance draws inspiration from traditional Gothic rose windows while maintaining contemporary architectural elements.
The chapel is climate-controlled, making it comfortable to visit in any season while the glass walls provide abundant daylight. Visitors can move freely around the interior and along the entrance pathway to appreciate the architecture and natural surroundings.
The entrance pathway winds through native pines, oaks, and flowering trees before the chapel suddenly appears perched on a ridge among the forest. This deliberate approach reveals the modern structure as a surprise emergence from the natural landscape rather than as an obvious destination.
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