EUREKA SPRINGS -- Christmas qualifies as prime time to salute the fact that the most celebrated work of architecture in Arkansas is a place of Christian worship.
Tucked on wooded terrain off U.S. 62 three miles west of downtown Eureka Springs, Thorncrown Chapel is E. Fay Jones' world-famous masterpiece of sacred design. It has welcomed more than 6 million visitors since opening in 1980.
Marking the chapel's high distinction is its ranking by the American Institute of Architects as the fourth-best building designed in the entire 20th century.
It was also honored in 2006 with the AIA 25-Year Award for design that best stood the test of time over a quarter century. Jones, who died in 2004, is lionized as one of the 20th century's top 10 architects.
Given that Eureka Springs is perhaps Arkansas' most eccentric and free-spirited community, the presence of two devoutly religious icons here may seem unlikely.
But the rather modest Thorncrown Chapel shares local Christian provenance with the gargantuan Christ of the Ozarks. That white mortar figure of Jesus towers seven stories tall and weighs about 540 tons. While hard to miss, it has won no architectural awards of note.
Thorncrown Chapel was built for Pine Bluff native Jim Reed and his wife on land they had bought for a retirement home. Because the view of hilly countryside was so striking, he decided to have a small chapel erected. It is said that his prayers helped bring needed financing.
An example of Jones' Ozark style, a regional variant of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie style, the chapel encompasses a rectangular space 60 feet long by 24 feet wide by 48 feet high. Built of native stone, pine and glass, it feels almost ready to soar aloft. Jones labeled it "Ozark Gothic."
Visitors to Thorncrown may learn that a prime inspiration for the chapel was Sainte-Chapelle, the illustrious light-filled Gothic chapel beloved by Paris tourists. Thorncrown contains 425 windows, with more than 6,000 square feet of glass. Shadows and reflections play major roles in its distinctive sense of splendor.
Jones evidently sought to preserve the site's natural setting by deciding that no piece of construction material would be larger than what two men could carry through the woods. Bigger elements of the structure were assembled on the floor and raised into place.
Winter is generally the quietest season of the year at Thorncrown, with Sunday church services not scheduled to resume until April. It is always possible to see the chapel from outside, and visitors may enter this weekend to admire the remarkable piece of heaven-inspired work.
Thorncrown Chapel's visiting hours vary with time of year. Opening times Friday through next Tuesday are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome. For more information, call (479) 253-7401 or visit thorncrown.com.
Weekend on 12/25/2014