The design the Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Port Arthur, Texas, serves as a place of prayer and rejuvenation for parishioners. The design goal, set by a collaboration with The Catholic Diocese of Beaumont, was to generate an environment that represented the faith, heritage and values of the parish, and provided a quiet place for meditation and prayer. A larger-than-life sculpture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, standing on a barren hilltop, is the focal point of the shrine — with the plaza and buildings creating a prominent backdrop.
A primary building material for the project is white Texas limestone used in a horizontal ashlar pattern. The stone was chosen for its texture and color to compliment the white brick on the existing parish campus. In addition to complementing the surroundings of the parish, the shrine was to emulate the classic architecture of the southwestern region and was also reminiscent of Mexican colonial architecture. While mission style architecture is primarily adobe construction, the use stone represents a statement of elegance and transmits the shrines permanence.
