Construction of Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on the University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus was made possible by a 1910 gift from John D. Rockefeller. Completed in 1928, the Chapel serves as a cultural center for the university to this day.

Nearly 80 years after the chapel was completed, the university commissioned a major lighting and electrical upgrade to meet the modern needs of its wide variety of uses, from religious services to graduations to speeches and addresses from nationally renowned figures.

As a beloved campus institution and Chicago landmark, the designers addressed the challenges of integrating new light sources into the historic architecture in a non-obtrusive yet practical manner.

A year after completing the interior lighting, we returned to design façade lighting for the building as part of a campus-wide initiative to light significant facades.