Designed by the master architect Gyo Obata, the St. Louis Priory Chapel, in Creve Coeur, Missouri, is one of America's greatest hidden treasures. Its distinctive flower-shaped reinforced-concrete shell was devised by the famed engineering firm Weidlinger Associates and comprises three symmetrical tiers of whitewashed concrete arches filled with a translucent fiberglass material known as Kalwall. Though it was completed in 1962, the building and its furnishings and appointments continue to thrive.
Obata’s pursuit of education and his commitment to architecture is a story of courage, perseverance, and brilliance. In a private conversation, he explained to me that during World War II, just as he had begun his architectural studies at the University of California, Berkeley, his father (the famed Japanese-American painter Chiura Obata), mother, and two siblings were forced from their San Francisco home and, along with many others of Japanese heritage, sent to an internment camp. The only way Obata could continue his education was to transfer to a school outside of California, which he did—he was accepted into Washington University in St. Louis, one of the few schools in the country accepting Japanese-American students at the time.
After graduating he attended the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art and was hired by the noted architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, then headed by John Dinkeloo. Obata returned to St. Louis in 1951 to work at the firm of Minoru Yamasaki (architect of the World Trade Center), where he was involved in the design and construction of the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Four years later he joined forces with fellow architects George Hellmuth and George Kassabaum to form Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (known today simply as HOK).
On my recent visit to Priory Chapel, I lingered for hours to take in the full richness and sheer beauty of this special place, as well as Obata’s unique ability to seamlessly integrate architecture, landscape, and interior design. As Obata once said, “The language that architects use to define space is daylight. Each project offers new potential for discovery, for understanding the site and program, and an opportunity to do a thoughtfully designed building that will bring meaning and enjoyment to the people who will occupy it."
Thanks to Gyo Obata for being an inspiration to us all.
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