120 grammi :: laboratorio di architettura builds a solemn chapel in northern italy

measuring the passage of time

italian architecture studio 120 grammi :: laboratorio di architettura completes a solemn funerary chapel in porcellengo, a village in northern italy near venice. the tiny place of retreat is realized with a simple, yet expressive material palette including anodized aluminum and stone. seeking to emphasize the meaningful function and serene atmosphere of the space, the team minimizes any decorative ornament. instead, the tomb will measure itself with the passage of time — the materiality and its treatment will gradually transform the space as it naturally ages.

images by alessandra bello

a connection with changing nature

with its new chapel, the team at 120 grammi :: laboratorio di architettura respects the heritage of the site. the little project is visually connected with an existing funeral shrine in the town’s nearby cemetery by way of a vertical cut on its wall. while still linked to its surroundings, the little chapel invites solitude and introspection with its solid shell of thick walls. meanwhile, the team at 120 grammi :: laboratorio di architettura leaves its new funerary chapel unenclosed above, opening upward towards the sky in celebration of the canopy of the trees growing around it. this connection to the natural surroundings offers another device to tell the passing of time, as these trees grow and transform with the changing of the seasons in turn.
the chapel is built of anodized aluminum and concrete

minimal ornament emphasizes the solemn atmosphere

the small chapel invites solitude and introspection

the project is sited in the northern italian village of porcellengo

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section details

plan

site plan

project info:

project title: funerary chapel 

architecture: 120 grammi :: laboratorio di architettura
location: porcellengo, italy
lead architects: carlo pavan, nicola pavan
photography: alessandra bello