ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL AND MAUSOLEUM

摘要

St. John's Chapel in Columbia, S.D., is a one-story, 2200 ft2 structure that features a clean, white "clapboard" faqade with stained glass windows and a steeple topped by a simple, lighted white cross. Visually, it resembles other community churches that have historically anchored small towns across the Midwest. However, unlike the stick-frame structures favored in the past, this chapel has a precast concrete facade that combines a classic look and feel with modern durability. The client, whose father had once been mayor of the town, wanted a sustainable design that would resemble a traditional 19th-century prairie church, but the chapel also had to be built to withstand South Dakota's hot summers and snowy winters. The "need for durability and sustainability was the biggest challenges for the project," says Eric Kurtz of Gage Brothers, the precaster for the project. The project team considered several design options and ultimately chose to use precast concrete to meet the aesthetic, durability, and low-maintenance requirements. "The architect recognized the inert properties that precast concrete was going to provide," Kurtz says. "The formability allowed for the architectural exterior finish; formliners achieved the shape and texture for the 'clapboard' siding; and concrete ingredients provided the integral color that would achieve a no-maintenance exterior."