Zenon Mazurkevich

Zenon Mazurkevich (August 31, 1939 – October 26, 2018) was a Ukrainian-American architect known for his church architecture, in particular the St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church.[1][2]

Zenon Mazurkevich
Born(1939-08-31)August 31, 1939
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
DiedOctober 26, 2018(2018-10-26) (aged 79)
Philadelphia, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Pennsylvania
OccupationArchitect
Spouse(s)Ulana Baluch Mazurkevich
Children2
Buildings
St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church designed by Zenon Mazurkevich.

Early life and education

He was born in the town of Rozhniativ in the Ivano-Frankivsk region of Ukraine. He emigrated with his parents to Germany and then to Canada.[3] He graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in architecture in 1966. He received master's degrees in architecture and in city planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts in 1972.[4]

Career

At the beginning of his career, Mazurkevich worked for Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, as well as the architectural firm of Skidmore Owings and Merrill, where he was involved with the design of the 100-story John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois.[5][6] He later opened up his own firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he pursued his passion in religious architecture.

His most prominent architectural work is St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.[7][8][9] Three-quarters of the Church's exterior consists of curved windows. It was one of the largest bent-glass projects in the country at that time.[10] When it was built, local press commented that its futuristic design looked “like a product of a cosmic collision between 12th Century Russia and 21st Century Mars.”[11] The church has been cited by architectural experts as one of the most beautiful buildings in Chicago,[12][13] and one of the most beautiful churches in America.[14]

Mazurkevich's other projects included St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Baltimore, Maryland, which he designed in the Cossack Baroque style, the Prayer Room at St. Basil Academy in Fox Chase, Pennsylvania, the Order of St. Basils Monastery in Glen Cove, New York, renovations of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Chicago, Illinois,[15] as well as an avant-garde design for the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord, in Kolomyia, Ukraine.[16]

Personal life

He married human-rights activist and restaurateur Ulana Baluch Mazurkevich, and had two sons.[1]

  • St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church (Chicago, United States)
  • St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church (Baltimore, United States)
  • Design for Cathedral of the Transfiguration of our Lord (Kolomyia, Ukraine)

References
  1. Staff. "Architect Zenon Mazurkevich, 79, designer of landmark Chicago church". The Ukrainian Weekly. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  2. "Obituaries". Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  3. "SHAPING AESTHETICS OF SACRED ARCHITECTURE IN WORKS OF ZENON MAZURKEVYCH". 2019-05-26. Archived from the original on 2019-05-26. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  4. Struk, Danylo Husar (1993). Encyclopedia of Ukraine. University of Toronto Press. p. 357.
  5. "St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church". BLUEPRINT: Chicago. 2010-04-20. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  6. O'Donnell, Maureen (2018-11-13). "Zenon Mazurkevich, architect of landmark Ukrainian church on NW Side, dead at 79". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  7. ago, Ukrainian Magazine® • 4 years (2015-09-06). "It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a church!". Ukrainian Magazine®. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  8. "Ukrainian Chicago #16". Issuu. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  9. Adler, Mortimer J. (1976). The Annals of America. Encyclopaedia Britannica. ISBN 9780852293164.
  10. McCoy, Craig R. "Zenon Mazurkevich, Philadelphia architect known for beautiful churches, dies at 79". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  11. "The Daily Herald from Chicago, Illinois on August 16, 1977 · Page 56". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  12. Bruce, Nicole (2016-11-18). "The Most Beautiful Buildings in Chicago, According to an Architecture Expert". Thrillist. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  13. Bruce, Nicole (2016-11-18). "The Most Beautiful Buildings in Chicago, According to an Architecture Expert". Thrillist. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  14. Hojnicki, Carrie. "Get Married in One of the 10 Most Beautiful Churches in America". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2019-06-04.
  15. Chiat, Marilyn Joyce Segal (2004). The Spiritual Traveler-- Chicago and Illinois: A Guide to Sacred Sites and Peaceful Places. Paulist Press. p. 154. ISBN 9781587680106.
  16. Kelebay, Yarema (November 30, 1997). "Philadelphia architect designs church for Kolomyia" (PDF). The Ukrainian Weekly. p. 8.
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