Isaiah Temple, Chicago, Illinois, Organ Screen Plan and Elevation Possibly 1898

This is Dankmar Adler’s plan and elevation for the organ screen of the Isaiah Temple in Chicago. At the top of the image, the semi-circular arch of the organ screen immediately invokes the heavens, a universal symbol connecting the sacred space below with the divine. The arch, as a motif, finds echoes across time and cultures, from Roman triumphal arches, symbols of power and victory, to the rounded apses in Byzantine churches, spaces designed to inspire awe. One can even trace its curvature to the oculus of the Pantheon, where the sunlight pouring in acts as a conduit between the earthly and the celestial. The arch's persistence is no accident; it speaks to our collective memory of seeking transcendence, of yearning for connection to something greater. Adler employs this shape to subconsciously draw the congregants' eyes—and thus their spirits—upward. This cyclical progression demonstrates the symbol's ability to be reborn and carry new meaning in each context, thus evoking the continuous emotional and psychological power of the image.