Competition Proposal — 2024

Author Collaboration — Zuzana Štemberová

Collaboration — Ing. Jakub Komárek

​

The atmosphere of the ruin of this small historic sacral structure, gradually being reclaimed by the surrounding forest, deeply captivated us.

The fundamental idea of our proposal arises from a dialogue between past and present, between the spirituality of the past and the spirituality of today.

In the past, the chapel shaped the identity of the place, where traditional Christian reverence and faith formed an everyday part of the lives of local inhabitants.

In today’s postmodern religious era, the chapel should offer the possibility to authentically, yet newly and creatively, reinterpret the legacy of Christian tradition — “the old in a new form.”

It should provide a space for rest, contemplation, meditation, prayer, as well as simple gathering for a wide spectrum of people regardless of religious belief. The chapel should remain open and accessible throughout the year.

A sense of awe, sacred reverence, wonder at the power of nature, the relentlessness of time, humility, inner silence, contemplation… these are the emotions this exceptional place evoked in us.

The flow of space from the exterior into the interior of the walls and back again, the views through openings into the landscape, the upward gaze toward the sky and tree canopies, the play of light and shadow… these are the visual impressions that profoundly affected us.

The genius loci of this sacred place lies precisely in these strong emotions and perceptions, within which the deep essence becomes part of each individual’s faith.

We attempted to imprint these experiences into our proposal for the restoration of the chapel — ancient and timeless, yet presented in a new form.

The main nave of the chapel is the place where the authenticity of the connection between history and the modern era is felt most strongly, while also offering an intense meditative experience. The flat ceiling gives the space intimacy, especially through the creation of dim light. We work with the contrast of darkness and light in several ways. From the brightness outside, one enters the shadowed interior, where views through windows and entrances offer meditative living images of nature intended for contemplation.

Thanks to the circular opening in the ceiling and the transparency of the roof mesh, the visitor is offered a view of the sky. The circular pattern in the brick floor, reflecting the circular opening above, also guides the visitor toward meditation.

The penetration of light through window and door openings, including the circular ceiling opening, forms an essential part of the proposal — together with the intensity of the incoming light, its shape, and its direction, all constantly changing with time.