VoltarA part of the Monte da Charneca Center Project, the chapel was commissioned to Siza in 2016 by a Swiss-American couple living in the area.
Located in a clearing at the top of a hill, with dense vegetation as backdrop, the building rises on a simple solid block that presents a slightly elevated courtyard connected to the building volume and leading inside.
From outside, the monolithic geometry suggests a serene interior, which features white claddings and wooden furniture designed by Siza and made by Serafim Pereira Simões Sucessores, a team of carpenters from Porto. The building is designed for the place and with the place.
The small chapel, conceived as “a pure architectural project,” is planned in such a way that it can do without electricity, heating, and running water; all it needs is natural ventilation and materials that have the capacity to keep the place cool in summer and warm in winter: insulated brick, limestone, tiles.
