The Art Chapel

Designed and built by FACT + PLAIN Design Built with Actual Architecture Co., The Art Chapel is a studio for adults to cultivate their creativity through art and craft instruction, supporting public events in a community with few cultural outlets. The 1873 building, Lincoln, Nebraska’s first church, has been transformed from a neglected space into an asset for a struggling neighborhood.

By adopting a “making nothing” strategy, the project explores architecture’s ability to disarm the viewer through apparent simplicity and directness. The transformation of the simple wood-framed structure is, at first glance, perceptually mute. The primary design acts are subtractive – removing material and abstracting the building to highlight generic qualities and simple beauty. A large rolling wall replicates the original façade and opens the Art Chapel to the community both literally and figuratively. Inspired by the subtle way members of the community are invited to gather for services informally in the parking lot and on the church steps, the rolling wall allows the entire building to be an extension of the public realm. The form of the street elevation opening is then repeated in the back of the main, multi-use room, with a new plywood cabinet wall. Custom details and furniture complete the function-driven design and rugged materiality of the renovated building. The project was designed and built by graduate students in collaboration with Jeffrey L. Day, FAIA & Jason Griffiths and a wide range of skilled volunteers.

See more designbuild process and construction images at www.factlab.org.