In 2017, the Chapel of St. Ignatius at Seattle University will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. This time 20 years ago Steven Holl describes what was then one of the largest tilt up slab placements in building:
“Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle university….The second and final day of the tilt-up lifts…by the time I arrived to the site 9:15am, they had already 3 new panels in place and the crane in the new position on the west. The construction crew seems very motivated and positive seeing this chapel suddenly appear….from the horizontal to the vertical definition of space…inspiring to everyone..(students stare). Due to a problem in the reach, the sequence of lifts has to be changed , and the big one – 77000 pounds, is to go before noon. They pick it up after some trouble in releasing and twist it in space, moving about 50 feet to the south. Then a problem develops in the cable rigging 60 feet off the ground…the big panel hangs by two pick points!! While all sorts of struggling to free the entangled second crane boom takes place. Finally its free and the the big panel is set at 1pm.”
– Steven Holl, August 13, 1996