Nascimento Chapel: A Marvel of Contemporary Religious Architecture

An Unusual Architectural Masterpiece Hovering Over a Lake

The Nascimento Chapel, located in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, is a private chapel that stands out for its unusual design. Inspired by Brazilian architectural and artistic movements, the chapel incorporates elements from colonial architecture, the baroque movement, and modernist repertoire. The design of its metal frames, functioning as sculptures in space, and the curved shape of the floor plan and facade, are a nod to these movements.

What sets the Nascimento Chapel apart is its location and the use of the surrounding topography. The chapel hovers over a lake that was created to double the facade by reflection, defining the same curve of its floor plan. The impression of the building flying over the water pond is created by a 4 meter wide wood bridge that balances on central pillars.

The enclosed space of the chapel is defined by a glass box at the end of the bridge. Enveloping this whole set are 25 rectangular steel frames of varying sizes that draw a curve in space, defining a building that expands and retracts. These gates function as brise soleils that bring shade and privacy to the prayer space.

The Nascimento Chapel was designed for a couple who wanted a space dedicated to their saint of devotion, where they could renew the bonds of their marriage and also marry their children. The movement designed in space by the steel gates provokes a sensation of expansion and contraction, reinforcing the expected effect of religion and their prayers on the faithful.

The project took 16 months to complete, with 6 months dedicated to the design and 10 months to the construction. The chapel follows one important tradition in Brazilian architecture - the construction of religious spaces on private residences. This tradition dates back to the colonial period, under the influence of Portuguese architecture, when most farms had their own private chapel.

The Nascimento Chapel was awarded the Golden A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award in 2019. This prestigious award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.