The Arizona Cancer Center Chapel also known as the Soleri Chapel is a distinctive architectural resource located within the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, Arizona. Designed by the internationally renowned Italian-American architect Paolo Soleri and built in 1986, the chapel stands as a testament to Soleri's innovative vision and commitment to blending art, architecture, and nature. It is a masterpiece of late twentieth-century design and is rare extant example of Soleri's architectural work.^[1]

Architectural Significance

Born in Turin, Italy, in 1919, Paolo Soleri graduated with a master's degree from Politecnico di Torino in 1946. His journey led him to Arizona, where he participated in a fellowship with Frank Lloyd Wright at Taliesin West in Scottsdale. This experience, coupled with his later return to Italy in 1950 to design the Ceramica Artistica Solimene, significantly influenced Soleri's architectural philosophy.

In 1956, Soleri returned to Arizona with his wife, Colly, and embarked on building Cosanti, a five-acre plot in Paradise Valley, which translates to "before things." Colly died of cancer in 1982. In 1985, Arizona Cancer Center architect Bernard J. Friedman of F & D Associates and Friedman, Keim & McFerron Architects/Engineers commissioned Soleri to design a contemplative chapel for cancer patients and their families. The project took on a deeply personal expression reflecting Soleri's personal loss and experience. Tomiaki Tamura, with Paolo Soleri Associates assisted on the project.

The completed chapel, part of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, serves as a testament to Soleri's rich architectural legacy and is a vital component of his exploration of harmonious living environments.

Design and Features

The chapel's design is characterized by its distinctive sand-cast barrel-vaulted concrete ceilings, reflecting Soleri's dedication to harmonizing with the natural environment. The concrete, cast within a bed of silt, exhibits a unique texture and color reflective of the desert's character. Embedded botanical graphics, consistent with Soleri's design approach present throughout his iconic creation Arcosanti, further underline his profound connection to the local landscape.^[2]

The chapel's spatial integrity and architectural elements make it a unique exemplar of Soleri's work in Southern Arizona, and internationally showcasing the fusion of sustainability, human connection, and coexistence with the natural world.

Historical and Cultural Significance

Constructed in 1986, the Paolo Soleri Chapel has garnered international recognition for its architectural ingenuity. The same year, the Corcoran Gallery of Art organized a touring exhibition titled "The Architectural Visions of Paolo Soleri," acknowledging the global significance of Soleri's contributions to the field.

The chapel's cultural significance extends beyond its architectural brilliance, embodying Soleri's vision of "arcology" – an integration of architecture and ecology striving for a balance between urban aesthetics, equality, and environmental stewardship. The chapel serves as a living memorial to Soleri's profound influence on the fields of architecture and urban design.

Preservation Efforts

As the Arizona Cancer Center was expanded the patient area where the chapel is located was reorganized into research spaces and offices. The change in use effectively closed the chapel to the public. The chapel was open to the public as part of Tucson Modernism Week in 2013 and 2018, named a “Modern Architectural Classic” by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation in 2018, and featured in the book Holy Modern published in 2017.

In October 2023 the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation discovered University of Arizona plans to desecrate and butcher the chapel by harvesting and relocating artistic elements to decorate a new “meditation hallway" in the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. The plan to destroy the architecture, spatial arrangement and design intent was led by University of Arizona Planning Department and the architecture firm Line and Space.^[3]

The plan included sending the right side of the barrel-vault to the Cosanti Foundation and installing the remnant pieces in a concrete block hallway. Numouros advocates including Jim McPherson with the Arizona Preservation Foundation, Demion Clinco with Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation, and elected leaders including Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz, Arizona State Representatives, Christopher Mathis and Betty Villegas all appealed to University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins to stop the destruction and pursue an alternative approach that would save the chapel. Robbins ignored the requests and in December 2023, UA planning announced its intent to continue destruction and desecration of the sacred space.^[4]

In December 2023, the chapel was added to Arizona's Most Endangered Places list by the Arizona Preservation Foundation^[5] and the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission unanimously passed a resolution asking for the preservation of the Chapel emphasizing the importance of adhering to Arizona Revised Statute 41-864 and underscored the responsibility of entities like the University of Arizona in preserving historical and cultural resources.^[6]

As of January 2024 the future of the chapel was uncertain.

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