Wooden Chapel in the Alps

Wooden Chapel in the Alps

Bernardo Bader Architects studio designed the Zalgenroite chapel for a small village in Forchardberg, one of Austria's most picturesque regions. The new building replaced an old church that had stood on this site for 200 years.

The chapel's layout, including the apse, is based on the form of the old structure, while the high gable roof is a modern innovation by the architects.

All interior walls, floor, and ceiling are covered with the same light wood, from which minimalist church pews are also made. A large metal door leads into the main hall of the chapel. The interior space rises upward and forward toward the altar, behind which is a window offering a view of a large spreading tree.

The statue of the Virgin Mary, installed in the apse, was transferred from the former building.

"Whoever enters the chapel must leave behind the solid ground of everyday life and embark on a spiritual journey," say the architects.