Ralph Appelbaum Associates

The 250-year anniversary exhibit of St. Paul’s Chapel coincided with a multi-year, multi-million-dollar restoration of the Chapel’s interior. The exhibition was conceptualized with five distinct design and interpretive goals in mind: share the rich history that makes St. Paul’s Chapel a vibrant spiritual home and a forward-facing institution; connect the dynamic spirit of St. Paul’s today with its long-standing traditions of service, education, and reconciliation; create a design that is integrated with the architecture and that serves as a respectful backdrop to services and programming; highlight the many ways in which the Trinity and St. Paul’s ministries have worked together with local and global communities; and engage diverse visitors, ranging from local New York committees to the 1.5 million tourists visiting the chapel from around the world.

The exhibition occupies two separate and distinct spaces in the chapel. The main exhibit is located on the walkways directly adjacent to the main nave. Two 50-foot backlit graphic rails render the 250-year history of the chapel as continuous strips of light. The exhibit highlighted both the history and future of St. Paul’s Chapel as a cornerstone of New York life. The Hall of Remembrance, located in the former sacristy space in the chapel, provides visitors with an area for respectful contemplation and remembrance while also conveying the outpouring of support that localized around St. Paul’s Chapel after the events of September 11, 2001. An original pew from the days immediately after 9/11 bears the scratches and scuffs of its use during rescue efforts and as a place to post memorial letters and pictures.