Chapel of St. Basil

Basil is a chapel on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, designed by Philip Johnson in 1997.

The Chapel and Doherty Library are located at opposite ends of the Academic Mall to represent the dialogue between faith and reason, respectively.

The Chapel, despite being adjacent to West Alabama street, faces inward towards the Academic Mall as an important part of this symbolism.

The structure of the Chapel is composed of three basic geometric forms: the cube, the sphere, and the plane.

The gold dome at the top of the structure proclaims the university's Christian character, and can be seen from miles away from large buildings throughout downtown, uptown, and the medical center.

At night, the lights from outside combined with candles inside the Chapel are more than enough to illuminate the worship area.

When the doors of the tabernacle are shut, the angels wings' form a shape analogous to a flame.

During the subsequent school year, Aramark Dining Services renamed the university's student lounge "The Labyrinth" during a redecoration period in an attempt to emulate the popularity of the new garden.