The Lakewood Cemetery Memorial Chapel in Minneapolis, completed in 1910 and inspired by Byzantine architecture, stands as one of Minnesota’s most significant funerary landmarks. Its interior mosaics—crafted with over ten million pieces of Venetian glass—were modeled after the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The surrounding landscape, designed in the late 19th century, reflects the “garden cemetery” movement that emphasized serenity and park-like beauty. Today, Lakewood remains both an active cemetery and a public green space, connecting generations through its art, architecture, and memorial traditions.

The Lakewood Cemetery Garden Mausoleum, completed in 2012 and designed by Joan Soranno and John Cook of HGA Architects, represents a modern counterpart to Lakewood’s historic chapel. Built into the natural slope of the cemetery grounds, the structure uses gray granite and white mosaic marble to evoke quiet reflection and permanence. Its minimalist form and interplay of light were conceived to harmonize with the surrounding landscape of Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska). The mausoleum extends Lakewood’s 150-year tradition of blending architecture, art, and remembrance within a park-like setting in south Minneapolis.