Comments on: Farewell Chapel by OFIS Arhitekti

By: epi

epi — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:12:49 +0000

wow! elegant! but I miss pics of the interior – also on the ofis homepage!

By: max habib

max habib — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:32:21 +0000

gorgeous

By: overdose

overdose — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:28:19 +0000

A cross sign to this chapel is like a Mercedes sign to a car. Works for me.

By: goodfeeling

goodfeeling — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:17:19 +0000

Beautiful work, but I also think it would be much prettier without the cross. Its a chapel, not a church. If someone uses chapel it doesn’t mean that he/she is a catholic or any other believer.
Chapels should be without religious symbols, which should be placed on graves.
Multi-religious graveyards with non-symbolized chapels are cool
We are in 21st century!

By: windbag

windbag — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:14:47 +0000

@chapmaniac.

what’s wrong with that?
first, the intention was to build a chapel, so a building that is supposed to inspire some sense of spirituality and contemplation.
I don’t see much spirituality in an underground car park, that’s all.
Check picture number 6, that railing is really cheap.
I think the intentions were good, the reference to Ronchamp and all, I don’t mind the cross, Tadao Ando did the same thing, literal but that’s fine.
All considered anyway I think the overall result is quite poor.

By: Joyce

Joyce — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:38:10 +0000

Agree with Stev. Here is another opinion from M.Wilson:
I disagree with the criticism of the crucifix- I think it could be rather powerful. I’m not too familiar with local customs or the actual function of this chapel, but I assume that it functions as a viewing area for the body before burial. In that case, you can imagine that the casket is presented in alignment with the cross. During the day, this would permit an imprint of sunlight in the shape of the cross to drape the body. Very literal, but also a very strong use of light as a christian allegory.

By: stev

stev — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:35:48 +0000

A well thought and well made made piece. Kind of an architecture sculpture because sense and form work proper together. In catholic believe the souls are saved because of Jesus starving at the cross. While the body goes under the ground, the soul goes “up”. So I think the way they work with the levels, the cross as hole and as light is perfect and the chapel has a good shape to celebrate the “transformation” from life to death for believers. If you do a religious building you can not fear to be ‘literal’.

By: Wolf

Wolf — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:38:34 +0000

Beautiful, pure & simple

By: yimyim

yimyim — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:04:38 +0000

it sits a little uncomfortably for me. Especially that concrete join… and the way it ’sits’ in the landscape. Looks like too much working in plan…

But the details look clean and well resolved.

By: ck

ck — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:13:46 +0000

yeah, nice building… but isn’t the cross a little… literal?