Air Force Academy Chapel - Colorado Springs, CO

Air Force Academy Chapel - Colorado Springs, CO.

The most recognizable building at the United States Air Force Academy is the 17-spired Cadet Chapel, and is often used as a symbol of the Academy itself. The subject of controversy when it was first built, it is now considered among the most beautiful examples of modern American academic architecture. The structure consists of 100 identical aluminum tetrahedrons, with colored glass in the spaces between the tetrahedrons. The chapel reaches a height of 150 feet, with an overall length of 280 feet and a width of 84 feet. Architect Walter Netsch said he was inspired in his design by the Sainte-Chapelle cathedral in Paris, the Cathedral of Chartres, and the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Italy. The Cadet Chapel is built on two levels. The upstairs portion houses a 1,300 seat multi-denomination Protestant chapel; downstairs are a 500-seat Catholic chapel, a 100-seat Jewish chapel, and interfaith rooms used for services of other religions.