SCALE AND CONTEXTUAL SENSITIVITY

The field chapel rests gently on top of a gentle hill between three small communities in Southwestern Germany. A local farmer donated the corner of their field to the project, and local artisans donated time and labor to realize the project. The wood needed for construction was fell, milled, and dried less than a kilometer away, and local stone was used instead of concrete paving.

The chapel was designed as a series of three spaces, culminating in the louvred tower, sized to match the volume of a hedge row that acts as a windbreak for the crops. The siting of the chapel takes advantage of this scale and proximity of the hedges to create a sort of entry corridor, and receives shelter from typical winds.

GRADUATED LOUVRE TOWER

The most visible element of the field chapel is the louvred tower, with graduated spacing that increases with height. This creates an interesting moire pattern as you move around the structure, and from inside, they appear to be spaced equally when looking up. The posts were computer-milled by a local carpenter, and the slats were slotted into them and fastened on-site.

LOOKOUT POINT AND patio

Resting on top of the hill, you can see quite a lot of countryside from this vantage point. As you approach the chapel between the tower and hedgerow, you turn left on approach and are greeted with these endless rolling hills and greenery. The stone and masonry platform delineates the extents of the land dedicated to the chapel, and creates the 3-part footprint of the patio, vestibule, and chapel tower.

VESTIBULE

The 3-part layout of the chapel takes advantage of this central zone to act as a vestibule and waiting area for the chapel tower. As you enter this 3-meter cubic space, the horizon disappears and your attention is directed upward to the heavens. The local stonework incorporates a simple bench to rest, wait, and prepare to enter the chapel tower.

chapel tower

Upon entering the final space, the chapel tower, you encounter a simple steel plate triptych, with a generic Christian cross and sand tray where visitors can leave candles burning with their prayers and dedications. When turning your attention upwards, you can see the optical illusion created by the increasingly spaced louvres - which appear to be spaced evenly. The further spacing at the top allows more light to enter and leaves no dark spots inside.

The timber itself is arranged as another cross, this time with equal sides, bringing more layers of spiritual meaning to the structure. We sought to add several layers of experience to the chapel, including hidden symbolism and imagery. You may have even noticed the sliver of light coming through at the floor, where the structure doesn’t quite meet the ground, reinforcing an idea of weightlessness to the entire experience. We hope all visitors leave feeling lighter, in every sense.