I have to admit, I’ve been driving right by this remarkable little church for years without ever once pausing to appreciate Ralph Rapson’s humble work. Until recently I would not have considered myself one of Rapson’s fans. Those awful Brasillia like towers on the West Bank have always irritated me. I can’t believe Mary Tyler Moore moved in there. The destruction of the old Guthrie Theater warmed me up a little. You just don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone. In a 2002 interview with Minnesota Magazine, Rapson criticized the museum for demolishing his landmark building. “I’m very disturbed and disappointed that an organization such as the Walker, which obviously has been a great force in the art world, would be so negative about what really is a very significant building.” Rapson died just a couple years ago. He was working in his office the previous day. 600 people attended his memorial service at the new Guthrie Theater.
I guess our neighborhood is lucky to have one of the two remaining sacred spaces designed by Rapson that are still in use today.The heavily adapted California Mission style Hope Lutheran Church at 5728 Cedar Avenue was described by David Gebhard in A Guide to the Architecture of Minnesota as being, “Rapson’s plunge into the West Coast Mine-Shaft School. Stucco with shed roofs…” Larry Millet says the the church, built in 1971 displays the Ralph Rapson’s love for architectural action. The message here seems to be God is restless.
Hope Lutheran Church will be featured on the Minnesota Chapter of DOCOMOMO’s Modernist Sacred Spaces Tour. On October 9th. The tour kicks off at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (4801 France Avenue) in Minneapolis starting at 9:00 a.m. CLICK HERE for further information.
