St. John's Seminary

Padre Margil Pilgrimage Center & Event Center
Value
$8,156,000
Size
14,500
SF
Delivery Method
Design-Build
Owner
Archdiocese of San Antonio
Architect
Fisher Heck
Overview

St. John's Seminary was originally established in 1920 on the site adjacent Mission Concepción, one of just twenty-four UNESCO World Heritage sites in the United States. For nearly five decades the seminary flourished, serving students of the Archdiocese of San Antonio by providing a pathway to priesthood. In 1969, the seminary moved to its present day location and the Patrician Movement, a substance abuse program, inhabited the campus until 2011 when it was abandoned. The grounds of the once noble seminary fell into dilapidation, subject to vandalism and destruction, it was hotbed for crime. In 2015, much of the remaining property was sold to developers who began the rehabilitation process by converting many of the buildings into the St. John Apartment Buildings. However, the Archdiocese retained control of the former chapel and cafeteria. In an effort to preserve a remnant of the historic campus and draw focus to the World Heritage Missions and Catholic history; the Archdiocese sought to revitalize the remaining buildings.

Decrepitude had infiltrated every aspect of the 5,600 SF chapel and 8,900 SF cafeteria. Renovating the buildings for adaptive reuse required in-depth and demanding work from our project team. The goal of the project was to convert the cafeteria into an opulent private event space with offices for Catholic Churches. The old chapel was to become the Pilgrimage Center, a space with a museum, visitors center, interpretive center, presentation space, café and gift shop, meant as a starting point for visitors making pilgrimage to the five Spanish colonial missions and World Heritage Sites.

The project was originally solicited and contracted under a design-bid-build delivery method. However, during the extensive abatement and demolition unforeseen conditions were uncovered that prompted sweeping re-design of the spaces. The primary culprit that led to this was the structural instability of the pilgrimage center, has many of the glue-laminated beams had rotted away from their bases at the foundation. At this point, many projects would have fallen apart. The ultimate success of this project is due to the ability for the design team, contractor, and owner to check egos at the door and work through the many delays and costs to deliver this stunning project. St. John's Seminary is an example of the power of design-build over traditional design-bid-build projects, especially for renovations where unknowns lurk around every corner.

The finished result of this multi-year renovation is a campus transformed from detritus to opulence. The historic St. John's Seminary Campus is thoughtfully preserved and a renewed energy to highlight our World Heritage missions abounds.

The Padre Margil Pilgrimage Center is a spacious building with a high Gothic arch ceiling and beautifully restored glue-laminated beams. Stained glass surrounds the clerestory and a stained glass mural adorns the entrance, casting wonderfully colored light into the space. The event center, previously the cafeteria, was completely overhauled and the once dining area now serves as a flexible event space with masterfully finished acoustic ceiling and floor to ceiling windows. The kitchen now hosts several offices and a small conference room for Catholic charities. Bathrooms flank either side, separating the two spaces. A courtyard in the middle connects the two buildings.

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