Manley Chapel

The construction of Manley Chapel was completed in 2009. This building is the location for weekly chapel services and other special events at Williams Baptist University in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.

This 8,000 square foot stone and wood chapel serves as a focal point for the campus; a beacon to all students that attend the university. The focus of the structures design was to create an oasis away from the business of life and provide for a spiritual space with warmth and character that would lend itself to worship.

At just over 40 feet tall, this steeple forming structure creates a cadence of wood framework that begins as you enter and works its way down the length of the sanctuary terminating at a full glass wall at the altar. With floor to ceiling glass flanking both sides of the sanctuary; the combination of heavy stone pilasters and light wood framing create both a warm and airy space that allows natural light to glisten across the tile floor. This symmetry and detail develop a vaulted interior space that gives focus and direction to the altar.

The wood pews aligned with a central aisle give a similar structure and organization to the space that allows for simplicity, again drawing the eye to the altar. The natural setting of the campus allows chapel to be viewed from all sides and creates a sense of place in an otherwise open greenspace at the center of campus.

Features:

• Cadence of columns and frames project a directional nature in the space focusing on the altar.
• Pure materials of stone and wood draw the individual back to nature.
• Natural light in the space is focused through side wall glass and a skylight above, while cross “lanterns” create illumination in the evening.