THE SKY CHAPEL
The Sky Chapel.
The Sky Chapel is a private commission for the construction of a family charnelhouse. For the second time in my career, I find myself confronted with the theme of death in my architectural work. The love for those who have departed is materialized through a building, serving as a testament of memory and an attempt to combat longing. The expectations of the commission are noble and demanding, touching deeply personal and emotional spheres. Once again, I sought to create a small poem, a kind of ‘Haiku,’ summarizing the concerns and feelings shared by the family. I hope I have met the challenge with dignity.
As a construction imbued with profound symbolic meaning for the family, the architecture of the chapel seeks to translate some of these sentiments.
From the outside, it emerges as a closed, compact volume of ‘lioz’ marble, the favourite stone of the deceased family member, symbolizing unity and familial intimacy. On the main façade, the chapel’s door, made of steel bars, evokes the cross of Christ through its orientation. Its verticality mirrors the vertical lines of the cypress trees in the cemetery, traditional symbols of eternity. Just above the floor, a horizontal window opens on the rear façade, representing the family’s connection to the ‘land,’ both as their roots in the village of Sertã and as mortal earthly life.
Inside, flanking the horizontal window, a permanent planter holds peace lilies (Spathiphyllum wallisii), symbolizing the serene rest of the deceased. The roof stands as perhaps the most prominent and symbolic element of the entire construction. Its design is inspired by the family’s devotion to the Holy Spirit. According to Catholic doctrine, the Cloud and Light are central symbols in representations of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament theophanies, the Cloud, sometimes dark, sometimes luminous, reveals the living and saving God, manifesting the transcendence of His Glory. This occurs with Moses on Mount Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, and during the journey through the desert. With Solomon, the same symbolism appears during the dedication of the Temple. In Luke 1:35, the same representation appears, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Throughout the History of Art, the Annunciation is depicted as a dove emanating a cloud of light over Mary. This symbolism reappears at the Transfiguration, “the Holy Spirit came in a cloud that enveloped them,” and “a voice came from the cloud, saying: This is my Son, my chosen one; listen to him” (Luke 9:34-35). The Cloud also obscures Jesus from the disciples’ eyes on the Day of the Ascension.
The chapel opens to the sky, toward clouds and light, through a transparent glass roof, so those who rest beneath it may be eternally touched by the Holy Spirit. This transparent cover, in contrast to the horizontal window near the floor, symbolizes eternal heavenly life and the hope of resurrection.
Photography: Vítor Leal Barros, Alexander Bogorodskiy
Consultants: Davide Souto Eng.º, António Lemos Eng.º
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