PIXEL's proposed 'salt chapel' pays homage to slovenia's salt harvesting heritage

as part of a salt-pan house competition launched by magazine, OUTSIDER, oliver thomas of PIXEL presents his entry titled, the salt chapel. inspired by the natural process of salt crystallization, the proposal pays homage to both the heritage and process of traditional salt harvesting found in the sečovlje salt pan region of slovenia. the design of the timber pavilion aims to create a sculpture that preserves, rebuilds and revives the memory and heritage of salt harvesting and the salt-pan house itself.

lake perspective

all images courtesy of PIXEL

built using squared timber battens, representing the process of evaporation and deposit of salt left behind from the sea water. a process which can’t be viewed by the naked eye, thomas created using a light timber structure and undulating form to translate the process into built form. square timber battens were the chosen cladding to the underlying CLT structure to represent the cube like form of salt as viewed under a microscope.

front perspective

the exterior form of the sculpture aims to rebuild the silhouette of the salt pan house. the light timber structure gives a ghost like form to the lost ruins of the house. the structure enables light to pass through it, creating a transparent like view during the day and night whilst also allowing variations of light and shadow to pass through.

close-up view of the salt chapel

inside stands a sculpture representing the traditional process of drying the salt, which was typically found inside the salt-pan house. the sculpture is an object for the public to explore and further investigate whilst also restoring the memory and heritage of the area. the proposed sculpture is highly repeatable for other sites in the area to help bring more exposure and historic preservation to the area.

interior view

timber is a material that is also created using a similar natural process which utilizes the power of the sun and water. the proposal aims to rebuild the traditional form of the salt-pan house using CLT and traditional timber materials. the project aims to not only recreate the overall form of the traditional salt pan house but to also inspire the future of construction and living in mass timber buildings in slovenia and around the world.

ruin perspective

the structure has been designed to take advantage of the benefits of CLT construction and digital manufacturing, the structure itself will be pre-fabricated and assembled on site to create the base underlying structure. the CLT structure will then be clad in standardized off the shelf timber square battens, which will be cut to size and hung from rods. all building elements have been designed to be pragmatically fabricated and brought to site for assembly to reduce time spent on site.

the salt chapel at night

concept diagram

floor plan

elevations

elevations

assembly axonometric

project info:

project name: salt chapel

project type: competition proposal

location: sečovlje salt pan region, slovenia

design: oliver thomas of PIXEL

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom