Old St. Patrick's Church

Opportunity: In 1983, Father Jack Wall became Pastor of Old Saint Patrick’s Church, the oldest public building in Chicago. With only four parishioners and a worn building, Father Wall began to revive the parish by developing community programs and restoring the building, which houses original stained glass windows designed by artist Thomas O’Shaughnessy.

Solution: The windows, which express Celtic culture as seen in the 9th-century illuminated manuscript the Book of Kells, inspired the goal of the renovation: to connect Celtic spirituality to contemporary Catholic worship. The project included the design of intricate, curvilinear stencils on light fixtures, elegant plaster reliefs, and stone flooring, using computer-aided design and supersonic watercutting technology. A new stone altar and new pews were created, incorporating motifs from Celtic culture at both a grand and an intimate scale.

Value: A gracious, light-filled space, rejuvenated with history, welcomed an influx of new parishioners into the now-thriving Church. The renovation was honored with a prestigious national AIA Award for Design Excellence.