Overview

The Lakewood Memorial Chapel is an excellent example of the Byzantine Revival style. 

• Location: 3600 Hennepin Avenue
• Neighborhood: East Harriet

Historic profile

The Lakewood Memorial Chapel is an excellent example of the Byzantine Revival style. Its interior is covered with an elaborate design of mosaic tiles.

This building includes a chapel and crematorium for Lakewood Cemetery, which was established in 1871. The cemetery is comprised of about 250 acres of green space between Bde Maka Ska and Lake Harriet. Many prominent Minnesotans are buried here.

Well-known architect Harry Wild Jones designed the building. He modeled it after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The building has a modified cruciform plan with a larger center dome. The walls are pink St. Cloud granite. The roofs are covered with red Spanish tiles. There are square towers in each corner, with smaller domes on top.

Additional wings extend in three directions, including a larger wing for the main entrance on the west side. The main doors are set within a deeply recessed archway flanked by wide columns with small domes on top. The side windows are set within large arches. Many of the small windows are also arched. All the windows have stained glass.

Charles Lamb directed the mosaic installation. Venetian artisans assembled millions of tiles. The designs depict religious figures and symbols, nature, and geometric patterns. At the time it was completed, it was the only building in the U.S. with a mosaic interior. Additionally, the interior acoustics are nearly perfect without amplification needed.