Studio associates designed a laic chapel in Botticino, near Brescia, for a local association that deals with the socialization issues of teenagers with mental disabilities. The project, named Chapel of Silence, is a contemplative building that lies amid a forest and a vineyard. The construction has been possible with a participatory approach, together with a group of selected students.
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The choice of the material, which is painted-black wood, gives to the building an abstract feel. The whole body of the building – an elemental shape with a pitched roof – seems to be fluctuating given that it is perched on a slightly smaller base than the building itself. A first monolithic piece of Botticino marble is placed next to the entrance and has a triangular cavity on top made to collect rainwater.
The interior space is divided in two main rooms: the first has a lower ceiling and a small squared window-frame with a view on the forest. The second room is considerably wider and its shortest side is only closed by a curtain, hanging on a portal, cantilevering towards the slope. This side faces the second white monolith, which stands against the green backdrop of the forest.
The Chapel of Silence by Studio associates, 2017
- Project:
- Chapel of Silence
- Location:
- Botticino, Brescia
- Architect:
- Studio associates
- Construction:
- Edil3 Costruzioni , Torri Silvano
- Collaborators:
- Alberto Tosoni, Alessandro Tarolli, Chiara Vulcano, Elena Pellizzer, Federico Strada, Francesca Kiprianidis, Gino Baldi, Giuseppe Sorrentino, Maria Savastano, Nicolò Garonzi, Serena Comi , Silvia Diomedi, Simone Volpi, Susanna Parlato, Valentina Almerico, Valentina Monteverdi , Valentina Raggi , Valentina Solano
- Structures:
- Angelo Archetti, Laura Boldi , Marco Bottazzi , Massimo Berlinghieri
- Completion:
- 2017