ronan bouroullec adorns chapel in monts d'arréel with minimal altar

Ronan Bouroullec’s ecclesiastical furniture in french chapel

One year after the devastating fire in the Monts d’Arrée in July 2022, the small chapel of Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts is being revived. Initially constructed in the late 17th century, following an age-old religious tradition of the location, the chapel has recently undergone a thorough restoration, complete with a collection of new furnishings designed by Ronan Bouroullec. The materials chosen by the designer were mainly granite, forged and hammered steel, and glass, contributing to the sense of harmony and dialogue between the architecture, nature, and existing elements of the chapel.

The chapel creates a space where the bustling world outside momentarily fades away, fostering an atmosphere of silence, concentration, and contemplation. As a place for worship and reflection, it encourages a profound connection with both the surrounding environment and one’s inner self. The qualities of stillness and focus are further heightened at Saint-Michel de Brasparts due to its elevated position atop the hill, offering a unique perspective of the sky and the landscape. Thus, Ronan Bouroullec’s project is built upon three main principles. Firstly, he seeks to employ a minimalist material palette, focusing on essential elements. Secondly, he strives to strike a delicate balance between a sense of solidity and an ethereal lightness. Lastly, he aims to infuse vitality into the objects through the treatment of surfaces and the interplay of light, creating a sense of vibrancy within them.

all image © Claire Lavabre – Studio Bouroullec

A Minimalistic Chapel Interior with Symbolic Elements

The Chapel of Saint-Michel de Brasparts is a modest building with a rectangular shape and a sloping apse. Inside, the floor is made of compacted earth and is slightly elevated in the choir area. The stone walls are covered with lime render. The main entrance on the west facade is rarely used, while the south door is always open, serving as a welcoming refuge for passers-by, hikers, and pilgrims. The chapel’s interior is mostly empty, except for a stone font and a few improvised items like votive offerings, homemade wooden crosses, pebbles, and dried flowers. There is no lighting or electricity, and natural light enters through two windows in the apse, made of glass slabs with a modern abstract design popular in the 1950s and ’60s.

The Chapel of Saint-Michel de Brasparts holds a significant place in Ronan Bouroullec’s memories. It served as a mysterious landmark during his travels between his home in the south and his grandparents’ house in the north of Brittany. The image of the chapel standing out against the blackened landscape left by past wildfires also left a lasting impression. Additionally, Bouroullec reflects on the power of involuntary memory, as described by Proust, which involves tactile, auditory, and olfactory sensations. This sensory aspect, including the play of light, the dampness, and the texture of the stone, forms the foundation of Bouroullec’s project for Saint-Michel de Brasparts. This approach extends throughout his creative process, integrating intuition, daydreaming, and synesthesia. Rather than simply responding to specific requirements or predefined concepts, Bouroullec aims to create an experience — a complete encounter with the external phenomenon that leaves a distinct impact on one’s consciousness.

Ronan Bouroullec adorns the small chapel of Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts with a set of ecclesiastical furnishings

Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts chapel combines architecture AND nature

The materials used in the Chapel of Saint-Michel, added by Ronan Bouroullec, create a sense of continuity between the architecture and nature. These materials are carefully chosen to blend with the surroundings. One such material is Nuit Celtique de Huelgoat, a dark granite with white shards reminiscent of the starry night sky above the chapel. This granite was sourced from Brennilis, located less than 15km away, and crafted into three pieces — a horizontal base, an altar, and a console-table — by stone mason Christophe Chini. While granite is not a commonly used material in Ronan Bouroullec’s work, forged and hammered steel is a recurring element. His collaboration with Italian manufacturer Magis on the Officina range, which includes candelabras, showcases his expertise with this material. However, for the Chapel of Saint-Michel, the steel elements were handcrafted by artist-metalworker Mathieu Cabioch from Roscoff.

Glass is another significant material in Ronan Bouroullec’s work. The glasswork in the chapel, although not locally made (it was created by glassmakers from the Venice region), establishes a connection with the existing stained-glass windows attributed to the Breton master glassmaker Auguste Labouret.

the cross is assembled using a simple connection of a bar with a rounded hole

Ronan Bouroullec’s design achieves a balance of materiality

The elements placed by Ronan Bouroullec in the Chapel of Saint-Michel have been carefully designed to achieve a sense of balance. Despite their heavy and sturdy nature, they aim to create a sensory experience and establish a deep connection with the sacred. The project’s main challenge was to create a feeling of lightness from the mass of the materials. Proportions were carefully considered, with the golden ratio applied to the altar. The console-table, made from a large block of granite, achieved a paradoxical balance as it appeared to be suspended on steel legs that extended into candlesticks. The mirror, despite its weight, conveyed a sense of intangibility and almost unreal quality.

Furthermore, the concept of balance extends to the connections between the different elements. Ronan Bouroullec emphasizes the importance of connections in his work, and in this project, the stone elements are simply assembled, resting on each other with a slight overhang that gives the illusion of floating above the ground. The forged pieces are embedded directly into the granite blocks or the earth floor. Even the cross is assembled using a simple connection, utilizing a bar with a rounded hole.

exuding a sense of lightness from the mass of the materials

The Chapel of Saint-Michel de Brasparts embodies a play of forms and shapes, where every line and edge showcases a gentle curve meticulously sculpted by skilled hands. The materials employed, such as bush-hammered granite, blurred glass, and hammered steel, interact harmoniously, while the galvanized finish chosen intentionally softens the contrast between the cross, candlesticks, and the pristine whiteness of the lime-rendered walls. Each intervention creates a juxtaposition of sensations, blending roughness with softness, strength with delicacy.

However, it is the interplay of light that truly breathes life into the entire project. The windows generously allow the light to enter, and when the doors are opened, it floods in, enlivening the reflective disc positioned behind the altar. This element, more than a mere mirror or object, serves as an ethereal source of illumination, devoid of physical substance. It resembles a circular aperture carved into the wall, revealing the ever-changing and unpredictable daylight.