Fifteen Years After Cathedral of Hope Intro'd Its Phillip Johnson Chapel, A First Look

​Perhaps you vaguely recall the press conference during which architect Phillip Johnson stood with Michael Piazza to announce his plans to build upon the Cathedral of Hope grounds a so-called Interfaith Peace Chapel -- which Johnson called "the finest job I've ever had in my life. ... a big civic statement, a big emotional statement." If you've forgotten, you're forgiven -- that was in 1996, nine years before his death.

For years the Interfaith Peace Chapel was something mentioned in passing -- the great incomplete Johnson commission that went "unbuilt because of a lack of funds." But in recent years, it was resurrected -- and today we received a press release announcing the chapel is close to completion. Says the note from the Cathedral of Hope: "The structure, originally conceptualized in the late 1990's as the architect's final commission, is scheduled to be completed in November of 2010." As proof, we were sent three photosrenderings -- which means, you got it, two more follow.

Update: In the comments, John Wright of the Dallas Voice notes: "This is not the 2,000-seat Phillip Johnson chapel. This is another much smaller building, the Interfaith Peace Chapel." And, indeed, this is, as the Voice noted earlier this year, "part of a larger design by architect Philip Johnson that was his major project before his death at age 98 in 2005."

​
​