Madonna Della Strada Chapel

“The surround of this window is ornamented with "Madonna della Strada" carved in low-relief and four sculpture blocks with symbols associated with the Four Evangelists-saints credited with the writing of the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament.”

“In this combination of modernistic influences, coupled with an Expressionistic handling of bold building form typical of avant-garde, inter-war European modernism, Madonna della Strada Chapel is one of Chicago's most visually striking buildings and a rare example of modernistic design as applied to a pre-World War II church building.”

“The earliest designs for the chapel were devised to reflect the earlier Spanish Renaissance-style buildings already built on the campus, such as nearby Dumbach Hall. Loyola University officials soon realized, however, that the proposed chapel would be closely associated physically with the campus's newly planned and funded Elizabeth M. Cudahy Library (completed in 1930 on a lakefront site just north of the proposed chapel site), and decided to give the chapel commission to the architect of the library, Andrew N. Rebori, who was a friend of the Cudahy family, the donors of the library building.”

“Built to serve Loyola University's Lake Shore campus, Madonna della Strada is an excellent and unusual example of the so-called "Modern Classical" style, popular in the late 1920s-30s, with its boldly abstracted Classical-style forms and ornament, including pilasters, low-relief sculptures, decorative frieze and soaring bell tower.”

“In this way, Madonna della Strada Chapel is particularly unusual in its use of these progressive architectural styles-Art Deco, Modern Classicism, and Expressionism and is one of the best and most visually dramatic examples of non-historic architectural styles used for ecclesiastical architecture in Chicago.”

“Among his most prominent 1920s designs are the Racquet Club, an exclusive club at Dearborn and Schiller; chic cooperative apartment buildings at 40-50 W. Schiller St., 1325 N. Astor St., and 2430 N. Lake View Ave.; the LaSalle-Wacker Building, an Art Deco-style office skyscraper designed in association with Holabird and Root; and the Elizabeth M. Cudahy Library for Loyola University, funded by the meat-packing family that was one of Rebori's earliest and most loyal clients.”

“Madonna della Strada Chapel is a significant Modern Classical building, reflecting the importance of early 20th-century modernism and the evolution of progressive architectural styles in the history of Chicago and the United States.”

“Plans at that time called for an extension of the City's lakefront Lincoln Park and associated Lake Shore Drive north to the City's boundary with Evanston, and Loyola planned the placement of both the library and chapel in order to create a visually impressive and unified campus from the vantage point of this new drive.”

“Along the chapel's north and south elevations, ornament is found not only in the abstracted Classical-style pilasters between large round-arched windows, but also in a simplified frieze running along the roofline and decorated with names of significant Jesuit priests in history.”