Helge Center at Valparaiso University
Campus Ministries Building
“A Church in the World”
The Helge Center establishes a home for the university’s outreach ministries. Its design preserves the predominance of the historic Chapel of the Resurrection by fitting into the downward slope of a meadow and expresses the center’s unique role in campus and community life through its strong geometry.
A stated goal of the university was, “A really great architectural statement that honors the original building.”
The building’s radial geometry is derived from the chapel’s chancel. An arc representing “a church in the world” circumscribes Helge Center and connects the chapel’s altar and bell tower. The center is clad in slate shingles that echo the handcrafted character of the chapel’s masonry and recall its slate flooring.
Client
Valparaiso University
Location
Valparaiso, IN
Square Footage
11,000 square feet