United Theological Seminary New Brighton, Minnesota

Coen + Partners’ design for the garden at the United Theological Seminary links a new, contemporary chapel to an existing library and classroom building through a garden of quiet planes and simple lines. Circulation within the garden is regularized and highly orchestrated to recall a traditional Christian labyrinth. Simple native plantings juxtaposed with the tactile qualities of the architecture, gathering areas, and site walls create spaces for spiritual reflection and meditation. Influenced by the architecture of the new chapel, the processional walks and other garden elements extend into adjacent areas of the campus, drawing the entire seminary into the master plan composition.

Subtle manipulation of the topography adds interest and links structures at different elevations. A raised walk and seating area extend from the south entrance of the classroom building to the library court. Along this processional, elevated above the main garden, intimate resting spaces within a bosque of maples overlook the garden space. The chapel, at a lower yet more prominent elevation, is framed by informal courts for assembly and ceremony including a secluded meditation garden featuring sedum, limestone, and a single iconic tree.

• Collaboration: Joan Soranno & John Cook, Hammel Green + Abrahamson