BNKR arquitectura builds spiraling ecumenical chapel under ground

BNKR arquitectura builds spiraling ecumenical chapel under ground
image © jaime navarro
all images courtesy of bnkr arquitectura

mexico city-based practice BNKR arquitectura recently completed their third chapel structure representing everything between life (their estancia chapel) and death (sunset chapel). the project was commissioned by a private client who, after seeing the estancia chapel, wanted a non-denominational space in which to meditate and venture into oneself. the chapel sits almost invisibly in the client’s garden under an elevated pond. the spiral floor plan and entry sequence takes visitors around a steadily sinking path below ground, circling around the airy structure of rhythmic frosted glass slats. the green vortex of topography eventually ends into a round light-filled room surrounded by walls of green, with an elliptical oculus in the ceiling mirrored by a feature element in the concrete slab below. air is free to flow through the space from any direction and the diffuse quality of light and interminable spatial extents create the ideal space to exist within earth and sky to allow the visitor to look deeper into themselves.

a concrete path spirals around into the chapel
image © jaime navarro

glass slats form the outer walls
image © jaime navarro

green vegetation grows along the outer walls of the sunken topography
image © jaime navarro

image © jaime navarro

inside the chapel space
image © jaime navarro

image © jaime navarro

image © jaime navarro

in context
image © jaime navarro

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project info:

design: bnkr arquitectura
partner in charge: esteban suarez
design team: emelio barjau, jaime sol, jorge alcantar, christian morales, gloria castillo, montserrat escobar, marcell ibarrola, fernando maya, marco mayote and daniel aguilar
structure: juan felipe heredia / dae
mep: sylvia roman / mmasxpresiones
lighting: ricardo noriegga and santiago bautista / norieggailuminadores
photography: jaime navarro
area: 170m2
status: built 2013
location: cuernavaca, morelos. mexico