The Art Chapel: UNL architecture students redesign 152-year-old Lincoln church

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — University of Nebraska-Lincoln architecture students have renovated a 152-year-old church near downtown Lincoln into a new kind of sanctuary.

The Art Chapel at 13th and F streets hosted an open house Monday after a project years in the making.

The project started when Jean Stryker, creative arts director of the F Street Neighborhood Church, wanted to transform the original section of the church.

She approached UNL School of Architecture faculty, who assessed the historical building’s assets and then radically transformed it.

Professor Jeffrey Day described the most striking design feature.

“The entire front wall moves away to allow the building to interact with the outdoors,” he said. “So people can engage with it outdoors as well as indoors.”

In design terms, this is called an “act of subtraction,” removing constraints in order to welcome all.

The students involved in this project have been submitting their design ideas for the space since 2019, with some delays due to the pandemic.

“We find that the students here put an incredible amount of effort into this kind of community driven projects,” associate professor Jason Griffiths said.

He went on to say the students have a strong belief in the legacy their education will leave.

The Art Chapel offers open studio hours on Monday evenings, as well as classes on Saturday afternoons.

The facility is stocked with various art supplies, so you don’t need to bring your own.

On average, about 20 people visit the Art Chapel on a weekly basis, including many who take part in activities hosted by Centerpointe, a local addiction treatment center.