Eureka! Springs, that is . . . Friday, November 18th and beyond

After a day that was totally packed full of architectural delights and delightful new friends, we welcomed an eventful but slower paced day.

Friday’s plans had us headed for Eureka Springs, Arkansas to see Fay Jones’ acclaimed and renowned Thorncrown Chapel. Our journey started by heading east for a beautiful autumnal drive into the Ozarks. Little did we know that the winding mountain roads would have one member of our party squealing like a little girl! Soon we reached our destination on the western outskirts of Eureka Springs.

Thorncrown Chapel received the 2006 AIA Twenty-five Year Award for architectural design that has stood the test of time for 25 years. The small but soaring glass and cross-braced pine chapel nestles into an eight-acre woodland setting on a sloping hillside in the Ozark Mountains. It stands 48 feet high with 24-foot-wide by 60-foot-long dimensions for a total of 1,440 square feet. Its 425 windows, made of 6,000 square feet of glass, filter woodland light across its upward diamond-shaped pine trusses to form ever-changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day and night.

Thorncrown also received a national AIA Honor Award in 1981 and it is fourth on the AIA’s Top 10 list of 20th-century structures (behind Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, the Chrysler Building and the Seagram Building by Mies van der Rohe). Jones’ biographer Robert Ivy described Thorncrown as “arguably among the 20th century’s great works of art.”

Thorncrown Chapel sits in the Ozark woods, inspired by Sainte Chappelle, Paris’ light-filled Gothic chapel. Jones referred to Thorncrown’s style as “Ozark Gothic” since he wanted to use solely native woodland elements to form the chapel structure matched to its natural setting.

The vertical and diagonal trusses support the roof and are made from local pine but are no larger than what could be carried through the woods (larger trusses were assembled on the floor and raised into place). All of the wood was hand-rubbed with a grayish stain to blend with the bark of the surrounding trees and stone (something Marlon Blackwell also did with his Tower House). Hollow steel joints link the cross-braces to form diamond-shaped lighting. The walls are just clear glass. The floor is made of flagstone and surrounded with a rock wall to give the feeling that the chapel is part of its Ozark mountainside. Looking upward inside the chapel you can see a crown of thorns in the complex of trusses.

The minimal furnishings consist of uniform oak pews upholstered with blue fabric, 12 oak lanterns and sculptural metal, notably, the door handles and lighting grates. The overall effect is considered a forest within a forest. It’s a place, Jones once said, “to think your best thoughts.”

Thorncrown never looks quite the same as its appearance changes during each hour of the day and during the different seasons of the year. Jones stated he “saw the potential for light play on the structure.” With light come shadows. Shadows of trusses dance on the flagstone floor, diamond patterns generate a patterned perspective through the entire chapel.

The 1981 AIA Honor Award jury noted, “One experiences pleasure and a sense of discovery upon arriving. Using minimal means, this chapel is a spiritual space.” AIA Executive Vice President/CEO Norman L. Koonce, writes in the AIA publication Fay Jones that at Thorncrown there is a great sense of peace. “You feel calm. It is the special genius of this place, its ‘humility,’ if you will, that Thorncrown Chapel captures and quietly celebrates.”

Thorncrown was the dream of retired teacher Jim Reed, a native of Pine Bluff, Ark. In 1971 Reed purchased the land that is now the site of the chapel to build his retirement cabin. However, other people admired the location and would stop at his property to view the beautiful Ozark hills. Reed and his wife then got the idea to build a chapel in the woods to give wayfarers a place to relax in an inspiring setting. Reed contacted Jones, then chair of the University of Arkansas Department of Architecture, who was well known for his intimate style of Arkansas chapels and private homes that relied on Ozark and state materials. Jones designed Thorncrown, but the estimated cost to complete it was $200,000, more than double the Reed’s original investment. Reed went to banks in California to try to secure the rest of the money, as construction of the chapel moved forward. But the banks kept telling him, as Jim Reed’s wife Dell once described, “People don’t build glass chapels for tourists in their backyards in Arkansas.”

As Thorncrown sat half-finished, the Reeds wrote letters and asked for loans, finally receiving a letter from an Illinois woman who wrote that she would lend the remaining money. The chapel was built, opening in 1980. It has inspired and aspired thousands of visitors ever since. The three of us have been added to that ever growing list.

As with Cooper Chapel, the ambiance of Thorncrown is best felt by merely sitting and absorbing – and that we did. Again, you’re looking upward – you can’t help it – your eyes are simply drawn up. I’ve admitted that Cooper Chapel is my favorite but, in fairness, they are different. Thorncrown has a transcendental quality; Cooper has an ethereal quality. There’s probably a fine line between those two descriptions. Perhaps it’s simply that Thorncrown is more organic – it is truly one with its site – while Cooper Chapel enhances and enriches its site.

Once we felt that we were sufficiently fulfilled, inspired and saturated with the Zen goodness of this organic masterpiece, we walked over to the Thorncrown Worship Center. The Worship Center, also designed by Fay Jones, was built to handle the larger gatherings that simply cannot fit into the Chapel. The Worship Center definitely has the mark of Fay Jones – it is undeniably another of his creations. In its own right and in another place, most would consider it to be a stellar example of religious architecture; however here it gracefully accepts its supporting role to its smaller, serene sibling farther up the hill.

We then left the grounds of Thorncrown, bound for the resort town of Eureka Springs. This is the one place that our Maggie failed us! The poor little GPS just doesn’t have a grip on the twists and turns of this mountain village! We were able to find the venerable Crescent Hotel where we saw – and visited – the Cottages at Crescent Park designed by Dave McKee. These luxury cottages would be a great place for a small group to stay during a long weekend trip to Eureka Springs. Take a panoramic virtual tour of the cottages!
Tempted as we were to visit the hotel and have lunch in its dining room, we decided to drive back to Rogers and have lunch there in order to be prompt for our appointment for our final home visit with Dave, a private residence designed by Jennings-McKee.

After meeting up with Dave, his son and his young associate, we drove over to the gated Pinnacle community at the Pinnacle Golf Course to see what Dave described as “the most prairie-style house he’s ever worked on” . . . and it is quite the house!

We were told that the owners of this house have an extensive folk art collection. This collection, which includes Native American works - several of their pieces are on display at the Native American Museum (Steve is the brother of the homeowner) - is displayed throughout this house which was obviously built as a gallery for the collection. But I should start by describing our approach to the house.

We parked in the driveway at the back of the house and we first entered the outdoor living area. There’s an outdoor living room, an outdoor kitchen and a poolside bar. There’s almost no need to go inside, except to see it!

In typical prairie fashion, the house opens up upon your entry . . . and what heights and sights did it open upon! A soaring fireplace, strategically lighted art, a custom rug, modern classics . . . it was a truly jaw dropping panorama of aesthetic wonders. I was prepared for the art collection – I was not prepared for the stellar pieces of modern furniture – both manufactured and handmade. In one corner of the room were the two most gorgeous Barcelona chairs I’ve ever seen – upholstered in a robin’s egg blue leather. (I will never be able to look at a black or white Barcelona chair in the same way again!) I then turned and was stopped dead in my tracks by a George Nakashima black walnut Conoid bench (named for the Nakashima studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania). My appreciation of this magnificent piece of craftsmanship did not go unnoticed and I was pointed to the dining room where we found eight George Nakashima Conoid chairs (note how the seat cantilevers off the chair‘s two sole legs). The table, which to me was the most outstanding piece of the group, was made for the homeowners by George Nakashima’s daughter – but made from wood he had collected in his studio. Absolutely stunning!

The enormous kitchen was next on the tour – it truly is bigger than a lot of restaurant kitchens! Designed for entertaining, it most certainly would be the center of any gathering.

We then headed downstairs for a tour of the perfectly controlled wine cellar which is probably about 250 square feet and fully stocked. Enough said.

Upstairs we found more perfect aesthetics and more wonders, including a massive – and undoubtedly, nearly complete, collection of University of Arkansas Razorback memorabilia.

Words really don’t give this house its rightful due. Hopefully pictures truly are worth a thousand words. We knew we wouldn’t be able to top this house.

We left this house in awe of the structure and the art within, but mostly we felt honored and privileged for being allowed to see this privately owned, extraordinary home and we felt tremendous gratitude to both the gracious owners who kindly shared this with us and to Dave for arranging our visit. Thank you, thank you!

Dinner that night was at Bentonville’s Fred’s Hickory Inn, a longtime local favorite – and now one of ours.

Upon discussion of places we still had remaining on “the list”, my companions mutinied against me and said that we had seen enough, telling me that “we started on a high note and we ended on a high note”. Saturday was then designated to be a “play day” and plans were made to return to Eureka Springs to just enjoy the town and be tourists – not architourists.

We shopped for slag glass on the outskirts of town and then continued on our way when we noticed signs for a big antiques show - so we stopped at looked and shopped our way through that collection. We visited the downtown area of Eureka Springs, window shopping our way along its streets that travel up and down the hillside. Lunch was at the Grand Taverne Restaurant in the Grand Central Hotel - a place we just stumbled upon but thoroughly enjoyed.

Sunday morning we packed up and left our Bella Vista condo, on our way to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport for our flights – but first we stopped for brunch at our new local favorite restaurant, Fred’s Hickory Inn. Our little group split at the airport, headed home to different places, all three tired but quite content and happy about our amazing Arkansas ArchiTour.