Saint Benedict Chapel

Peter Zumthor

The chapel, shaped like a teardrop, emerges from a steep slope far above an alpine valley. The building is tiny and exquisitely designed.

On the outside, curved timber shingle clad walls rise to a horizontal glazed and timber louvred band below the shallow roof. Given the absence of visible support, and the slenderness of the vertical louvres, the roof appears to hover. Inside the chapel, the roof is supported by 36 regularly spaced square posts set out from the inner ply-wall lining by three rows of steel pins. The simple move of distancing posts and wall affects the interior profoundly. As visual markers, the posts modulate the wall surface, increasing the definition of the interior space and accentuating the sense of enclosure. Symmetry and visual simplicity are special aspects of the roof structure. Detailed refinement is seen in the shape of the spine beam. It is trapezoidal in section to soften its visual impact and its width tapers in harmony with the building plan, wide near the front of the chapel and narrow at the rear. These details that reflect building form and aesthetic sensibility are indiscernible at the first viewing, but are the final touches of design brilliance.

Location:

Sumvtg, Switzerland