Sacred Heart University Chapel
Fairfield, Connecticut
Project Type: New Construction
Seat Count: 450
Opening: 2009
Construction Cost: $6.5 Million
Architect: Sasaki Associates
AD Scope: Acoustics, Room Design Assistance,
Audio
Sacred Heart University’s new Chapel facility includes a 450-seat Sanctuary with a pipe organ, a Narthex that opens up to the Sanctuary, and a small 50-seat Chapel. The main sanctuary is used for weekend Masses, which are both contemporary and traditional. The Main Sanctuary is also used periodically for concerts and lectures.. The Gathering/Narthex area is used for greeting and also serves as an overflow space for the Main Sanctuary on occasion.
The Sanctuary design required an innovative approach so that the desired aesthetic of a monolithic ceiling would hide not only the loudspeakers, but a distributed array of sound reflective surfaces and additional reverberant volume. A sound transparent surface visually masks the acoustic elements required to increase clarity of speech and quality of unamplified instrumental music ensembles. The volume above the ceiling, which is partially coupled to the primary volume below the ceiling, enhances the organ and choral music.
