Holy Family Shrine
Photographed 2017 – Gretna, Nebraska
Photographed 2017 – Gretna, Nebraska
Perched along I-80 in Gretna, Nebraska, the Holy Family Shrine is a striking spiritual structure that blends faith with architecture. Designed by BCDM Architects in collaboration with engineer Stan Sheppard, the chapel draws clear inspiration from Fay Jones’ Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas. Its soaring wooden structure and glass curtain walls provide a dramatic view of the Nebraska prairie and sky.
I photographed the shrine midday during a cross-country trip, working with the stark sunlight to emphasize the skeletal rhythm of the structural timbers and the luminous interplay of glass and shadow. The result is a quiet black-and-white study of transparency, structure, and spiritual form.
Architects: BCDM Architects (lead), Stan Sheppard (engineering)
Completed: 2002
Materials: Glulam wood, glass, limestone
Inspiration: Thorncrown Chapel, Arkansas
Awards: AIA Nebraska Honor Award, Faith & Form Award for Religious Architecture
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© 2017 JC Buck
