Sedona church makes list of nation’s coolest buildings – Chapel of the Holy Cross
Original story on Ktar News
PHOENIX — America has some pretty incredible buildings, but one of the coolest of them all is apparently in a Sedona, a relatively short drive from the Valley.
Lifestyle website Thrillist put the Chapel of the Holy Cross on its list of the nation’s 31 coolest buildings.
The website said the church made the cut because of the way it appears to rise out of the famed red rocks.
“The Catholic house of worship was inspired by the Empire State Building and rests on national forest land, giving it something of an ancient appearance even though it’s less than a century old,” the site said.
The chapel is located just south of downtown Sedona, along State Route 179. It is open to visitors at no cost.
Rancher and sculptor Maruerite Brunswig Staude originally wanted the structure built in her native Hungary after the completion of the Empire State Building in 1931, but changed her mind after the outbreak of World War II.
“Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has a universal appeal,” Staude said of the church. “Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men (and women) and be a living reality.”
More than two decades later, Staude’s dream became a reality. The church was completed in 1956 and cost about $300,000 to build. It was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with its annual honor of the year award in 1957.
It was designed by architect August K. Strotz.
