ALEXANDRIA, VA | When a tragic fire destroyed its 1881 Victorian Gothic chapel, the Virginia Theological Seminary sought a new location to rebuild. The landscape architect’s design sites a replacement chapel, preserves the historic ruins in a contemplative green space known as the Chapel Garden, and develops new connections to the surrounding community.

The new Immanuel Chapel functions as a space for community worship as well as a teaching center. Sited to frame the Seminary’s central greensward, its updated entry drive provides a neighborhood-oriented approach around the corner from an inner campus entrance for faculty and students. The nearby Chapel Garden weaves this building into the fabric of the landscape, offering an outdoor area for ceremonies, weddings, and funerals to take place, framed by the poignant ruins of the fire. This garden preserves the spiritual heart of the Seminary’s loss while inviting the institution and community to come together in cathartic and uplifting ways.

2019 Potomac ASLA Merit Award Winner