bernardo bader reconstructs a ruinous chapel overlooking the mountains of austria

the bernardo bader architekten salgenreute chapel is perched atop a mountain ridge near the small market town of krumbach, austria. the project is a complete reconstruction of the pre-existing, nearly 200 year old lourdes chapel. built in wood and stone, the simple footprint of the original chapel expresses the historic tradition of the area’s building culture while the new construction introduces a subtle new form, developed through a creative collaboration between the citizens of krumbach, the craftsmen and the architect.

all images by adolf bereuter

the bernardo bader architekten reconstruction, consisting simply of a main aisle and apse, occupies the same footprint of the original ruin. the new form is expressed as a faceted volume of wood, ascending with a steep A-frame in place of the traditional spire. toward the interior, the material uniformity is illuminated by a frontal light while the expressive vertical wood grain exaggerates a visual perspective. a religious statue, salvaged from the original chapel is positioned laterally, guiding the view toward the white apse, out toward the bucolic landscape.

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project info:

project name: kapelle salgenreute

architect: bernardo bader architekten

location: krumbach, bavaria, germany

structure: merz kley partner

project year: 2014 — 2016

photography: adolf bereuter